KP governor appoints ex-judge Arshad Hussain Shah as caretaker chief minister

ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Hajji Ghulam Ali appointed former judge Arshad Hussain Shah on Sunday as the new caretaker chief minister of the northwestern Pakistani province, a day after his predecessor passed away.
Ali approved Shah’s appointment to the post after he was nominated by former KP chief minister Mahmood Khan and ex-leader of the opposition in KP, Akram Khan Durrani. The two leaders held consultations on Sunday and agreed to nominate Shah to the post of caretaker chief minister.
The chief minister’s post fell vacant after Shah’s predecessor, former civil servant Azam Khan, passed away on Saturday. Azam Khan was rushed to the hospital where he died after his health deteriorated.
“We after consultation have agreed to nominate Justice (R) Arshad Hussain Shah to be appointed as caretaker chief minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under clause 1(A) of Article 224 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973,” a notification from the KP chief minister’s secretariat said.
A few hours after the nomination, Ali administered the oath of office to Shah in a televised ceremony.
Shah has previously served as the chief justice of Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan region.
The nomination takes place as Pakistan and KP both head toward general elections, which are scheduled to be held on Feb. 8.