An 11-member advisory council of former bureaucrats, a retired general, lawyers, businessmen and politicians has been named to assist the governor in running Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under emergency and governor’s rule.
Council includes ex-FBR chairmen, a retired Lt Gen, a former senator and a sitting MNA
WEBDESK – MEDIABITES
Peshawar, October 11, 2026: An advisory council of 11 members, drawn from the civil bureaucracy, the military, law, business, academia, religious circles and politics, has been named for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) following the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in the province.
Each adviser has been assigned a portfolio. Most come from technocratic and professional backgrounds, while a few have a political profile.
The advisers and their portfolios
- Kifayatullah Khan, Adviser for Home and Tribal Affairs: Former Inspector General of Prisons, former chairman of the FATA Tribunal, former deputy secretary for Home and Tribal Affairs, and former commissioner of Dera Ismail Khan and Mardan.
- Tariq Mahmood Pasha, Adviser for Finance, Revenue, Excise and Taxation: Former chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), former special assistant to the prime minister on revenue, former Economic Affairs Division secretary, and former joint secretary at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat.
- Amir Javed, Adviser for Law and Parliamentary Affairs: Supreme Court lawyer, former advocate general of KP and former additional attorney general of Pakistan.
- Dr Syed Amir Abdullah, Adviser for Education: Former caretaker provincial minister for industries and commerce, former member of the NACTA expert committee, and holder of a PhD in international relations from the Netherlands.
- Lt Gen (retd) Nigar Johar Khan, Adviser for Health: Former Surgeon General of the Pakistan Army and Pakistan’s first female lieutenant general. She is a national instructor in hospital emergency preparedness and holds a master’s degree in public health.
- Dr Sarfraz Ali Shah, Adviser for Minerals: Former adviser for planning and development, former adviser for communications and works, and holder of a PhD in economics from France.
- Dr Muhammad Irshad, Adviser for Industries and Commerce: Board member of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society, former FBR chairman and holder of a PhD in finance.
- Asif Rafiq Afridi, Adviser for Communications and Works: Former caretaker provincial minister in KP, an experienced businessman with a background in construction and development.
- Maulana Muhammad Tayyab Qureshi, Adviser for Auqaf and Religious Affairs: Chief Khateeb of KP, administrator of Jamia Ashrafia Peshawar and imam of Mahabat Khan Mosque.
- Usman Saifullah Khan, Adviser for Energy, Power, Planning and Development: Former senator, member of the Board of Governors of the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute, former member of the PSO board of management and former KP chairman of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA).
- Samar Haroon Bilour, Adviser for Information and Broadcasting: Member of the National Assembly, former member of the KP Assembly and former chairperson of its standing committee on information and public relations.
Background
President Asif Ali Zardari signed the summary imposing emergency and governor’s rule in KP under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution, after the federal cabinet approved the move on the prime minister’s recommendation. The Presidency said the provincial government could not be run in accordance with the Constitution, and the chief minister and provincial ministers were required to leave office. The federal government also appointed Dr Muhammad Fakhr Alam Irfan as chief secretary.
Source: Based on a list of advisory council members and their professional details circulated in Urdu media, October 11, 2026. The source did not include an official notification or any response from the KP government or political parties.. Rauf Klasra Social Media Pages
