KP cabinet swells to 53 with appointment of 23 parliamentary secretaries

• Total strength of cabinet and allied executive offices rises to 53 after fresh inductions

• Parliamentary secretaries assigned to assist ministers across key provincial departments

• Appointments cover finance, education, health, home, agriculture, tourism and other portfolios

 PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has significantly expanded its executive setup by appointing 23 Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs) as parliamentary secretaries for various departments, raising the total strength of the provincial cabinet and allied executive offices to 53.

Before the latest appointments, the provincial executive consisted of the Chief Minister, 16 ministers, six advisers and eight special assistants. With the induction of 23 parliamentary secretaries, the total number of cabinet members and allied executive officeholders has increased to 53, further strengthening the administrative structure of the provincial government.

According to a notification issued by the provincial government, Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi appointed the lawmakers to assist ministers in the functioning of different provincial departments.

Under the new appointments, Ali Shah (PK-04 Swat) has been assigned the Housing Department, Ameer Farzand Khan (PK-56 Mardan) the Mineral Development Department, Sultan Room (PK-09 Swat) the Auqaf, Hajj and Religious Affairs Department, Murtaza Khan Tarakai (PK-53 Swabi) the Agriculture Department, and Fateh-ul-Mulk Ali Nasir (PK-02 Lower Chitral) the Culture, Tourism and Archaeology Department.

Similarly, Zar Alam Khan (PK-85 Nowshera) has been appointed Parliamentary Secretary for the Excise and Taxation Department, Muhammad Riaz (PK-33 Kolai-Palas Kohistan) for Sports and Youth Affairs, Abdul Kabir Khan (PK-27 Buner) for Higher Education, Muhammad Naeem (PK-10 Swat) for Revenue and Estate, and Muhammad Azam Khan (PK-14 Lower Dir) for Zakat, Ushr and Social Welfare.

In another set of appointments, Asif Khan (PK-109 Upper South Waziristan) has been assigned the Finance Department, Zubair Khan (PK-34 Battagram) the Irrigation Department, Shafiullah (PK-16 Lower Dir) the Transport and Mass Transit Department, Sharafat Ali (PK-03 Swat) the Communication and Works Department, and Muhammad Yameen (PK-12 Upper Dir) the Public Health Engineering Department.

The notification further stated that Ashfaq Ahmad (PK-89 Nowshera) has been appointed Parliamentary Secretary for the Local Government Department, Rajab Ali Khan Abbasi (PK-43 Abbottabad) for Elementary and Secondary Education, Mehboob Sher (PK-67 Mohmand) for Livestock, Sher Ali Afridi (PK-77 Peshawar) for Climate Change and Forestry, and Obaidur Rehman (PK-17 Lower Dir) for Information and Public Relations.

In addition, Johar Muhammad (PK-105 Lakki Marwat) has been appointed Parliamentary Secretary for the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA), Zarshad Khan (PK-54 Mardan) for Industries and Commerce, and Zahidullah Khan (PK-99 Bannu) for the Home and Tribal Affairs Department.

The appointments formally expand the provincial government's executive structure, with the newly designated parliamentary secretaries tasked with assisting ministers in the administration and coordination of their respective departments, as notified by the provincial government.