Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali has officially approved Justice (retd) Arshad Hussain Shah as the new caretaker Chief Minister of the province. The appointment follows the sudden passing of Muhammad Azam Khan, the previous caretaker CM, due to a heart attack.
After the untimely demise of Azam Khan, appointed in January following the dissolution of the provincial assembly, a crucial meeting was held between former KP CM Mahmood Khan and opposition leader Akram Khan Durrani. In this meeting, they agreed on Justice Shah’s nomination for the role, subsequently forwarding their recommendation to the governor for formal approval.
Justice Shah, originating from Abbottabad, has a distinguished background, having served as the law minister in Azam Khan’s cabinet and as the chief justice of Gilgit Baltistan from 2019-2022.
PTI’s Opposition to the Appointment
Despite the consensus between Mahmood Khan and Durrani, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party disagreed with the appointment process.
PTI leader Zahir Khan Toru stated that the party would not accept a chief minister appointed through this process, arguing that the appointment should be constitutionally sound. Toru hinted at legal action if necessary, emphasizing the need for a fair and politically unbiased selection for the caretaker CM position.
