• 19-member body sworn in; Dar made foreign minister, Asif made Defence Minister Tarar made Information Minister .
• Shaza Khawaja is lone woman in the cabinet , yet to be allocated portfolio.
• Newly appointed finance Minister Mr. Aurangzeb’s application for Pakistani citizenship is approved by the cabinet meeting after he took oath as a minister.
A blend of young and experienced players were sworn in on Monday as President Asif Ali Zardari administered the oath of office to 19 members of the federal cabinet.
Two unexpected development is that four-time finance miniser Mr. Ishaq Dar is named for foreign minister, while banker and former HBL chief Mr. Muhammad Auranzeb has been appointed as finance minister.
Minister of State Ms. Shaza Fatima Khwaja is the lone woman in the cabinet, has yet to be assigned a portfolio, while the coveted slot of information minister has gone to Mr. Attaullah Tarar.
Following the oath taking, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over the inaugural federal cabinet meeting, during which it was affirmed that the government’s priority would be to alleviate the burdens faced by ordinary citizens. Interestingly, Mr. Aurangzeb’s request for Pakistani citizenship was granted during the cabinet session, subsequent to his induction as a minister. Formerly a Dutch citizen, Aurangzeb now holds Pakistani citizenship.
Among the notable returning figures are veteran PML-N members Khawaja Asif, who will oversee defence, defence production, and aviation; Ahsan Iqbal, tasked with planning, development, and special initiatives; Azam Nazeer Tarar, appointed to the portfolios of law, justice, and human rights; Musadik Malik, responsible for petroleum and power; Riaz Hussain Pirzada, in charge of housing and works; and Rana Tanveer Hussain, overseeing industries and production.
Additionally, two members of the previous caretaker administration, former Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who will handle interior and narcotics control, and former minister Ahad Cheema, assigned to economic affairs and the establishment division, have also been accommodated in the cabinet.
PML-Q’s Chaudhry Salik Hussain (overseas Pakistanis and human resource development), Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party President Abdul Aleem Khan (privatization and Board of Investment) and MQM-P leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui (science, technology, federal education and professional training) are other members from the eight-party who have been accommodated in the 19-member cabinet.
The PPP, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), National Party (NP) and PML-Zia, however, have chosen to stay away from the cabinet thus far.
Qaiser Sheikh, a veteran MNA from Chiniot has been included in the cabinet for the first time and given the portfolio of maritime affairs.
Former Balochistan CM Jam Kamal Khan has been given the commerce portfolio, while Sardar Awais Leghari has been given charge of the railways.
PML-N KP leader Amir Muqam has been handed states and frontier regions, with additional charge of national heritage and culture.
