PM picks coalition Cabinet

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s 37-member federal cabinet – 30 federal ministers, four ministers of state, and three advisers – was administered the oath by Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani on Tuesday.

Miftah Ismail, as was anticipated, has assumed the charge of Finance Ministry to formally restart discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in order to put the existing programme back on track for balance of payment support and manage other economic issues.

An official of the Finance Ministry on condition of anonymity said Ismail has already held a virtual meeting with the IMF.

Ahsan Iqbal has been made minister for planning, development and special initiatives, Rana Sanaullah Minister for Interior, Hina Rabbani Khar State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sherry Rehman Minister for Climate Change, and Marriyum Aurangzeb Minister for Information and Broadcasting, as per media reports.

First phase of cabinet formation finalised, oaths likely today

However, till the filing of this report, the Cabinet Division only has uploaded the notification of Senator Azam Tarar as federal minister.

The swearing-in ceremony of the federal cabinet was held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr and the new cabinet of ruling coalition included 14 members of Pakistan Muslim League (N), nine members of Pakistan People’s Party, four members Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), two members of MQM, while one each from Balochistan Awami Party and Jamhoori Watan Party.

Among the federal ministers in the cabinet include Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Sanaullah, Ayaz Sadiq, Mian Javed Latif, Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Khurram Dastgir, Rana Tanveer Hussain, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Murtaza Javed Abbasi, and Khawaja Saad Rafique. Azam Nazir Tarar, Khursheed Shah, Naveed Qamar, Sherry Rehman, Abdul Qadir Patel, Shazia Mari, Syed Murtaza Mahmood, Sajid Hussain Turi, Ehsan-ur-Rehman Mazari, and Abid Hussain.

Other federal ministers in the cabinet include Asad Mahmood, Syed Abdul Wasi, Mufti Abdul Shakoor, Muhammad Talha Mahmood, Syed Aminul Haq, Faisal Subzwari, Israr Tareen, Shahzain Bugti, and Tariq Bashir Cheema. The ministers of state include PML-N’s Ayesha Ghous Pasha and Abdul Rehman Kanjo, PPP’s Hina Rabbani Khar, and Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar.

Advisors include PML-N engineer Amir Muqam, PPP’s Qamar Zaman Kaira, and Tarin Group’s Aun Chaudhry.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022