Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s new caretaker chief minister assumes office

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s new Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Syed Arshad Hussain Shah has assumed charge of his office.

On reaching the chief minister’s secretariat, he was received by senior officials of the secretariat. He was presented a guard of honour by a smartly turned-out contingent of the police.

On Sunday, Justice (retd) Syed Arshad Hussain Shah took oath as caretaker Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Governor Ghulam Ali administered the oath to the new care­taker Chief Minister during a ceremony at the Governor’s House in Peshawar.

Besides others, the oath-taking ceremony was attended by Chief Justice Peshawar High Court, Justice Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, Mayor Peshawar Zubair Ali, former caretaker provincial ministers, Chief Secretary KP Na­deem Aslam Chaudhry, IGP Akhtar Hayat Khan, Commissioner Peshawar and administrative secretaries of various departments.

Justice (retd) Shah was appointed as the caretaker chief minister after Governor Ghulam Ali approved a summary to the effect following the demise of former caretaker Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan on Saturday morning.

Arshad Hussain Shah was serving as the minister for law and auqaf and human rights in the previous cabinet of the late chief minister.

Shah also served as chief judge of the Supreme Appellate Court of Gilgit-Baltistan from 2019 to 2022. He also served as a judge of the Peshawar High Court (PHC). Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Ghulam Ali administered the oath of office to the new interim chief minister during a ceremony on Sunday. – News Agencies/additional input from our reporter