ISLAMABAD, October 11, 2026: The federal government has appointed Dr Muhammad Fakhr Alam Irfan as the new Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to an official notification issued on Sunday.
Dr Irfan, a Grade 22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), has been appointed with immediate effect and will continue to serve as chief secretary until further orders, according to the notification.
The appointment marks a key administrative change in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, placing one of Pakistan’s senior civil servants at the head of the provincial bureaucracy.
Fakhr Alam Irfan Previously Served as Power Division Secretary
Before his appointment as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary, Dr Irfan was serving as Secretary of the Power Division in the federal Ministry of Energy.
He belongs to Mardan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and has held several senior administrative positions during his civil service career.
Official records also show that Dr Irfan previously served as Chief Secretary of Sindh. A federal Establishment Division notification dated March 12, 2024 identified him as a BS-22 Pakistan Administrative Service officer serving as Sindh chief secretary at the time.
Appointment Takes Effect Immediately
The federal government issued the notification appointing Dr Fakhr Alam Irfan on October 11, 2026.
His appointment takes effect immediately and will remain valid until further orders.
As chief secretary, Dr Irfan will serve as the senior-most civil servant in the provincial administration, coordinating the work of government departments and overseeing implementation of administrative policies.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s official administrative website had continued to list Shahab Ali Shah as chief secretary before the new appointment was announced, indicating that Dr Irfan succeeds him in the position.