Muhammad Azam Khan sworn in as caretaker Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
PESHAWAR, Jan 21 (SABAH): Former bureaucrat Mohammad Azam Khan took oath as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caretaker chief minister in a ceremony held in Peshawar on Saturday.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali administered oath to Muhammad Azam Khan, whose name for the provincial caretaker role was finalised after consultation between outgoing chief minister Mahmood Khan and Leader of the Opposition Akram Khan Durrani.
Earlier on Saturday, Haji Ghulam Ali formally appointed Muhammad Azam Khan as the caretaker chief minister of the province in the interim set-up.
In a notification issued on Saturday, the governor designated Khan for the role under Clause 1A of Section 224 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973, which states that if the provincial legislature is dissolved under Article 58 or Article 112, “a care-taker chief minister shall be appointed by the governor in consultation with the chief minister and the leader of the opposition in the outgoing provincial assembly”.
It stated that further necessary action may be taken for the administration of the oath to the caretaker CM by the governor.
The outgoing chief minister Mahmood Khan and the Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing KP Assembly Akram Khan Durrani were requested to hold consultations with the provincial governor regarding the CM’s appointment and both agreed on Khan as the nominee, it added.
The newly-appointed caretaker CM has held the office of federal secretary for the ministries of religious affairs and petroleum. He had obtained his Bar at Law degree from the Lincoln’s Inn, London.
Meanwhile speaking to a private TV channel, after his appointment, Muhammad Azam Khan said that ensuring peaceful elections is his first priority. “It is the Election Commission of Pakistan’s job to conduct peaceful polls and we will fully support it,” he said.
“I have served as a caretaker interior minister before and supported the ECP in the elections.”
Muhammad Azam Khan said that the province facing problems like law and order and inflation, promising to take measures to reduce them.
A Barrister-at-Law from Lincoln’s Inn, London, Muhammad Azam Khan had earlier served as minister for interior, capital administration and development in the caretaker cabinet of prime minister justice (retd) Nasirul Mulk in 2018.
He also remained the provincial minister for finance, planning and development in the KP caretaker cabinet of CM Shamsul Mulk from October 2007 to April 2008 and served on key positions in the federal and provincial governments.
Before these stints, he served as chief secretary from September 1990 till July 1993. He also remained the Pakistan Tobacco Board chairman.