Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Suhail Afridi has said that consultations for the formation of a new provincial cabinet have been completed and a formal announcement will be made soon.

Speaking to reporters outside the provincial assembly on Thursday, he said the first phase of the cabinet will comprise more than 10 members.

The chief minister said that consultations for cabinet formation were made in line with the instructions of the PTI founder.

Afridi said he is following constitutional and legal avenues in forming the cabinet.

Contempt case

Referring to his inability to meet the PTI founder in Adiala jail despite court orders, Afridi vowed to pursue contempt of court proceedings following a written order.

“Those trying to prevent me from meeting (the PTI founder) know what fear they have of me,” he said, while confirming that he was attempting to meet the party founder and expected to do so shortly.

Responding to a question about criticism from PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah, Afridi said the latter had been retained “only to criticise”.

The chief minister said he followed a busy schedule and did not have time to respond to criticism on social media.

Cases faced by workers

Afridi said complaints from party workers, particularly those facing legal cases, had been addressed and that he met with them on Wednesday.

“We will provide full support to our workers,” he told the media.

He said a small cabinet would be sworn in after the Senate by-election, adding that no obstruction had been encountered from among the party ranks in the formation process.

Turning to foreign policy, Afridi welcomed the recent Pakistan-Afghan Taliban talks but criticised that the key stakeholders were being kept away from negotiations.

Cohesion in policy

“If decisions are made behind closed doors, we cannot win this war,” he warned, arguing that policy on militancy must be clear and not treated as an experiment.

He cautioned that divergent views — one party calling militants “heroes,” another calling them “mujahideen,” and yet another favouring operations — reflected a lack of a coherent approach.

“This is not a laboratory. There must be a clear policy,” Afridi said.

The chief minister also reaffirmed his commitment to good governance, saying public trust in his party and the founder had been a factor in their return to power for a third time.