After KP, Punjab caretaker cabinet takes oath.

Hours after the 15-member Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caretaker cabinet was sworn in, the eight-member Punjab interim cabinet also took oath on Thursday.

The development comes after the Election Commission of Pakistan's recommendation for elections be held between April 9 and 13 in Punjab, and between April 15 and 17 in KP.

The ECP's direction came days after Mohammad Azam Khan on Jan 21 had taken oath as the KP caretaker chief minister and Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi's appointment as Punjab caretaker chief minister on Jan 22.

Punjab Governor Baligurh Rehman administered oath to the eight-member cabinet at a ceremony at Governor's House in Lahore where Naqvi was also in attendance.

The members of the interim cabinet include:

S M Tanveer

Javed Akram

Ibrahim Murad

Bilal Afzal

Dr Jamal Nasir

Mansoor Qadir

Syed Azfar Ali Nasir

Amir Mir

Radio Pakistan reported that 'three finalised ministers Wahab Riaz, Naseem Sadiq and Tamkinat Karim' were expected to take oath later.

Speaking on the occasion, Naqvi said the caretaker setup was 'completely apolitical and neutral'.

'Conducting transparent, fair, and free elections is the responsibility of the caretaker setup,' he said, adding that they would fulfill to do in a responsible manner.

'Elections will be held in a peaceful environment,' Naqvi added.

KP cabinet sworn in

A 15-member cabinet was sworn in as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caretaker cabinet on Thursday, hours after KP Governor Haji Ghulam Ali issued a notification formally appointing them for the roles.

In a notification issued today, the Governor appointed the cabinet 'in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 224(1a) read with Article 105 of the Constitution'.

Article 224(1a) states that in case an assembly is dissolved under Article 58 or Article 112, 'the President, or the Governor, as the case may be, shall appoint a care-taker Cabinet' provided that the 'members of the federal and provincial care-taker cabinets shall be appointed on the advice of the caretaker prime minister or the caretaker chief minister, as the...