PESHAWAR: In a move agreed upon by both government and opposition leaders, Azam Khan, a former civil servant who was appointed as the caretaker chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, took the oath of office on Saturday.
Prior to administering the oath, Haji Ghulam Ali, the governor, had named Khan as the interim chief executive, having been named the consensus candidate by the province’s government — of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) — and opposition — the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) — in the wake of the dissolution of the provincial parliament.
The newly-appointed caretaker chief minister is no stranger to public service, having held the office of federal secretary for the ministries of religious affairs and petroleum in the past. He is also a highly educated individual, holding a Bar at Law degree from Lincoln’s Inn in London.
Speaking to the press following the ceremony, Khan emphasized that ensuring peaceful elections is his top priority.
“It is the Election Commission of Pakistan’s job to conduct peaceful polls and we will fully support it,” he told Geo News, adding that he will take measures to address issues such as law and order and inflation in the province.
As Pakistan prepares for general elections later this year, there is one individual who is pushing for an early vote — Imran Khan, the former prime minister who was ousted from office in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence last April.
While holding general elections is a significant undertaking, Khan is also calling for early elections in both provinces. This move comes with significant logistical and financial challenges for a government already stretched thin by devastating floods last year and dependent on foreign aid.
