Governor Kundi forms 11-member advisory council in KP

Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi has formed an 11-member special advisory council comprising experienced administrative officials, economists, legal experts, politicians and professionals from various fields.

The council includes two former Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairmen, a former senator, a former provincial advocate general, a former inspector general of prisons and a retired surgeon general of the Pakistan Army. Its members will provide advice on key provincial matters, including finance, energy, law, industry, security, education, health, minerals and development.

Former caretaker provincial minister Dr Syed Aamir Abdullah will oversee education. He has previously served as caretaker minister for industries and commerce and worked as a consultant for the United Nations Development Programme.

Former FBR chairman Tariq Mahmood Pasha will advise on finance, revenue, excise and taxation. He has also served as the prime minister’s special assistant on revenue and as secretary of economic affairs.

Former senator Usman Saifullah Khan will look after energy and power, as well as planning and development. He has served on the board of Pakistan State Oil and as chairman of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association.

Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa advocate general Amir Javed will handle law and parliamentary affairs. He has extensive experience in constitutional matters, government legal advice and representing the state in superior courts.

Former Awami National Party provincial information secretary and spokesperson Samar Haroon Bilour will advise on information and broadcasting. She has also chaired a standing committee of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.

Former FBR chairman Dr Muhammad Irshad will oversee industries and commerce. He headed the tax authority in 2017 and has experience in tax administration and institutional reforms.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s chief khateeb, Maulana Muhammad Tayyab Qureshi, will look after auqaf and religious affairs. He is the principal of Jamia Ashrafia Peshawar and a recipient of the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz.

Retired Lieutenant General Nigar Johar Khan, a former surgeon general of the Pakistan Army, will advise on health matters. She was the Pakistan Army’s first woman three-star general and has received the Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military) and Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Military).

She has extensive experience in hospital administration, medical services and emergency healthcare. She also played an important role in managing hospital facilities, safety measures and vaccination efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Former inspector general of prisons Kifayatullah Khan will oversee home and tribal affairs. He has also served as chairman of the FATA Tribunal and as commissioner in various divisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Dr Sarfaraz Ali Shah, who holds a doctorate in economics, will advise on mines and minerals. He previously served as an adviser for planning and development, and communications and works, during the caretaker government of former chief minister Azam Khan. He is also associated with the UK-based Afford Business Club as a consultant.

Former caretaker provincial minister Asif Rafiq Afridi will handle communications and works, local government, housing and transport. He previously held portfolios including agriculture, livestock, food and environment in the caretaker provincial cabinet.

The advisory council is expected to provide recommendations on major administrative, economic and development issues in the province. Its proposed role includes suggesting reforms across different sectors and helping improve public services.