Ex-bureaucrat Azam Khan becomes caretaker KP CM

Peshawar: Former bureaucrat Azam Khan Saturday has been appointed as the caretaker Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), after the provincial assembly was dissolved earlier this week by former PM Imran Khan's party. 

As per sources, the caretaker chief minister will take the oath of his office today and would also take a decision to appoint his cabinet.

The governor, in this regard, issued the order after outgoing Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and leader of opposition Akram Khan Durrani unanimously nominated the name of Azam Khan.

“I,  HAJI GHULAM ALI, the Governor, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, hereby appoint Mr. M. Azam Khan, as the Caretaker Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in terms of Clause (IA) of the Article 224 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973,” the statement read.

On Friday, the KP government and the opposition reached a consensus on the name for the interim chief minister in the province — a surprising development that came sooner than expected. 

The name of former KP chief secretary Azam Khan was unanimously agreed upon in the meeting held to finalise the appointment of the province’s caretaker CM. 

Making comment on the development, Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) leader Mahmood Khan said that it happened for the 'first time in the political history of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa'.

Opposition had floated the names of Azam Khan and Zafarullah Khan for caretaker KP chief minister while the government nominated Sahibzada Saeed, Javed Iqbal and Hammad Awais Agha for the said post. 

Azam Khan's Brief Profile 

Azam Khan served as the Minister for Finance, Planning & Development Department, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). He also served as Federal Secretary Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Resources and Federal Secretary Ministry of Religious Affairs.

Before his journey as a politician, Azam Khan also held important positions in the KP government where he served as the Chief Secretary and Secretary of different ministries. Khan studied at University of Peshawar and later went to Lincoln’s Inn, London to study law.