Azam Khan takes oath as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's caretaker CM

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali on Saturday administered the oath to Mohammad Azam Khan as the caretaker chief minister of the province, reported Aaj News.

Earlier during the day, KP governor had appointed the former bureaucrat as the interim chief minister after the provincial government and the opposition unanimously agreed on his name for the position.

On Friday, addressing a joint press conference along with Pervez Khattak and CM Mahmood Khan, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan-Fazal (JUI-F) leader Akram Khan Durrani said the government and opposition had built a consensus on Azam's name for the post of the caretaker chief minister.

"We have chosen a person who is acceptable to all,” he said.

Durrani said that the government and the opposition jointly nominated Azam Khan, adding that the names of Zafarullah Khan and Sahibzada Saeed were also considered.

He said that PTI leader and former defense minister Pervez Khattak played an important role in reaching the consensus.

Today, a notification was issued saying that the governor has designated Ali for the role under Clause 1a of Section 124 of the Constitution, which states that if the provincial legislature is dissolved under Article 58 or Article 112, “a caretaker 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”.

Governor Ghulam Ali dissolves Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly

On Wednesday, the KPK Assembly stood dissolved after Governor Haji Ghulam Ali signed and approved Chief Minister Mahmood Khan’s summary for the dissolution of the provincial legislature.

A notification from the governor was dispatched to CM Mahmood and Leader of the Opposition Akram Khan Durrani.

The KP Assembly and provincial cabinet were dissolved with immediate effect under Clause 1 of Article 112 of the Constitution, the notification read.

The notification further said that the caretaker CM would be appointed by the governor in consultation with Mahmood and Durrani. The governor called on them to provide the names of their nominees for the position by January 21.

The KPK is the second regional government to be brought down by former prime minister Imran Khan in his drive to force early general elections.

Last year, Khan had announced that his governments in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would dissolve their assemblies to pave the way for fresh elections.