Shams-ul-Mulk, a former chairman of Water & Power Development Authority (Wapda) on Thursday took oath as caretaker Chief Minister of NWFP. Governor NWFP Lieutenant General Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai (Retd) administered oath to him.
The oath taking ceremony held at Governor House was attended by Chief Secretary NWFP, Sahibzada Riaz Noor, Federal Minister for Provincial Co-ordination, Salim Saifullah Khan, Federal Minister for Political Affairs & provincial president PML-Q, Engineer Amir Muqaam, former speaker NWFP Assembly, Bakht Jehan Khan, civil and military officials and people belonging to different walks of life.
In a brief chat with the newsmen after taking oath of his office, Shams-ul-Mulk said that the holding of free, fair and transparent elections in the province tops his priority list. He declined to talk on the matter of the controversial Kalabagh Dam, saying he has limited powers.
Regarding the formation of the provincial cabinet, he said that it would be formed shortly. However, he could not give any time period for it. To another query regarding lawlessness in some districts of the province, he said that he have detailed information and would talk over it after taking briefing from the officials concerned.
Shams-ul-Mulk, who also served the province as provincial minister under the governorship of Syed Iftikhar Shah has become 17th chief minister and fourth in the series of the caretaker chief executives of the province. Earlier, Lieutenant General Fazal-e-Haq (Retd), Mufti Abbas and Raja Sikandar Zaman have also served as caretaker chief ministers of the province.
Meanwhile, JUI-F, the ruling party of the province staged province-wide protest demonstrations against the appointment of Shams-ul-Mulk as caretaker Chief Minister of NWFP.
In the provincial metropolis a protest demonstration led by former provincial minister, and district Amir JUI-F, Maulana Amanullah Haqqani was taken from Qasim Ali Khan Mosque, Qissa Khwani Bazaar. The protesters were chanting slogans against the caretaker chief minister and terming his appointment against the interest of the province.
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