The newly established Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Advisory Council will assist Governor Faisal Karim Kundi in overseeing provincial affairs and performing government functions on behalf of the federal government.
According to Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, the council consists of individuals with relevant professional experience and expertise, whom he described as competent compared with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led provincial administration.
The council includes former civil servants, legal experts, academics, retired military officers and political figures, with members assigned responsibilities across various provincial departments.
Here is a breakdown of the council members and their assigned portfolios.
Kifayatullah Khan has been assigned responsibility for overseeing the provincial Home Department. He previously served as Inspector General of Prisons in KP, chairman of the FATA Tribunal, secretary of the Home and Tribal Affairs Department and commissioner of Mardan.
Former Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman Tariq Mehmood Pasha will oversee the province’s financial affairs. He was appointed FBR chairman in 2017 and was regarded as a close aide of former finance minister Ishaq Dar.
Pasha has also served as secretary of the Economic Affairs Division and as special assistant to the prime minister on finance.
Supreme Court advocate Amir Javed will advise the governor on legal matters. He was appointed KP advocate general in 2023 while serving as an additional attorney general for Pakistan. He previously held the position of deputy attorney general and resigned as KP advocate general following the 2024 general elections.
Syed Amir Abdullah will oversee education-related matters in the province. He is a former caretaker provincial minister and previously served on the expert committee of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA).
He holds a PhD in international relations.
Retired Lieutenant General Nigar Johar Khan is among the prominent members of the advisory council. Her life and military career were portrayed in the Pakistani television film Aik Hai Nigar.
A graduate of Army Medical College, she holds an MCPS qualification in family medicine, a master’s degree in advanced medical administration and a Master of Public Health.
Johar made history as the first woman in the Pakistan Army to attain three-star general rank. She also became the first female officer to command an army hospital, serving as a brigadier at Combined Military Hospital Jhelum. At the time of her promotion to lieutenant general, she was commanding Military Hospital Rawalpindi.
She has received the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Military), the Fatima Jinnah Gold Medal for meritorious services in the Army Medical Corps and the Hilal-i-Imtiaz earlier this year.
Sarfraz Ali Shah has been assigned responsibility for the Mines and Minerals Department. He previously served as an adviser to the KP chief minister on planning and development, although the dates of his tenure require clarification in the source information.
Shah holds a PhD in economics.
Former FBR chairman Muhammad Irshad will oversee matters relating to industries and commerce. He is also a member of the management board of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society and holds a PhD in finance.
Former KP caretaker minister Asif Rafiq has been appointed to oversee the Communication and Works Department. His appointment adds another former provincial government figure to the advisory body.
KP Chief Khateeb Maulana Muhammad Tayyab Qureshi will advise the governor on religious affairs.
He serves as the administrator of Jamia Ashrafia Peshawar and leads prayers at the historic Mahabat Khan Mosque in Peshawar.
Former senator Osman Saifullah Khan will oversee energy-related matters. He is a member of the board of governors of the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology and the grandson of former president Ghulam Ishaq Khan.
He has also served on the board of management of Pakistan State Oil and as chairman of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association in KP.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Samar Haroon Bilour has been appointed adviser on information and broadcasting.
A former member of the KP Assembly, Bilour brings parliamentary and political experience to the council.
The advisory council is expected to support Governor Faisal Karim Kundi in managing provincial affairs under the federal government’s arrangement. Its members have been assigned responsibilities spanning finance, law, education, health-related expertise, energy, religious affairs, infrastructure and other key sectors.
