April 03, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 25, 1429

PESHAWAR, April 2: The 21-member cabinet of the NWFP was sworn in by Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani on Wednesday at a ceremony at the Governor’s House.

Twelve of the ministers are from the Awami National Party and nine from the Pakistan People’s Party.

Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti, federal Minister for Local Government Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, MPAs and senior officials attended the ceremony. Former chief ministers Pir Sabir Shah and Arkam Khan Durrani did not attend it.

The ANP ministers are: Bashir Ahmed Bilour, Syed Aqil Shah, Arbab Ayub Jan, Nimroz Khan, Zarshaid Khan, Sitara Imran, Wajid Ali Khan, Ayub Khan Asharay, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Barrister Arshad Abdullah, Mian Nisar Gul and Sardar Hussain Babak.

The PPP is represented in the cabinet by Syed Zahir Ali Shah, Syed Ahmed Hussain Shah, Shuja Mohammad Khan, Liaquat Ali Shabab, Rahimdad Khan, Sher Azam Wazir, Salim Khan, Mohammad Humayun Khan and Mehmood Khan Zeb.

Sher Azam Khan and Shuja Khan contested the election as independent candidates but later joined the PPP.

The induction of PPP’s Salim Khan from Chitral into the cabinet has been widely hailed as the small and backward district had been denied representation in the government during the past 38 years.

Eleven districts, including Kohistan, Battagram, Abbottabad, Haripur, Shangla, Upper Dir, Kohat, Hangu, Lakki Marwat, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan, have no representation in the new provincial cabinet.