ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif finalised on Friday the rejigging of the federal cabinet by allocating portfolios to newly-inducted ministers as well as reshuffling the portfolios of some serving ministers, with an aim to enhance the government’s efficiency in its second year.
As opposed to the claims about austerity measures, the prime minister had recently expanded his team by inducting 12 federal ministers, nine ministers of state, four special assistants (SAPMs) and three advisers in the federal cabinet. The new cabinet included two ministers for Public Affairs Unit.
Despite the inclusion of some new and old faces, the cabinet was awaiting finalisation of the portfolios. With the latest induction, the cabinet swelled its ranks to 30 federal ministers and nine ministers of state. Similarly, Shehbaz has three advisers, and four SAPMs and six coordinators.
According to a Cabinet Division notification on Friday, “the Prime Minister, under rule 3(4) of the Rule of Business, 1973, has been pleased to allocate portfolios (business of the Government) to the Federal Ministers and Ministers of State”.
It said that Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry was given Parliamentary Affairs Ministry; Ali Pervaiz Malik, Petroleum; Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, National Heritage and Culture; Khalid Magsi, Science and Technology; Hanif Abbasi, Railways; Mueen Wattoo, Water Resources; Junaid Anwar, Maritime Affairs; Raza Hayat Harraj, Defence Production; Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, Religious Affairs & Interfaith Harmony; Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Information Technology & Telecommunication; Rana Mubashar Iqbal, Public Affairs Unit, and Syed Mustafa Kamal, National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination.
The new state ministers include Malik Rasheed Khan for National Food Security & Research; Abdul Rehman Kanju, Power with additional portfolio of Public Affairs Unit; Aqeel Malik, Law & Justice; Bilal Azhar Kayani, Railways; Kesoo Mal Kheal Das, Religious Affairs & Interfaith Harmony; Mohammad Awn Saqlain, Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development; Mukhtar Ahmad Malik, National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination; Talal Chaudhry, Interior & Narcotics Control and Wajiha Qamar for Federal Education & Professional Training.
The notification also carries names of the ministers already serving in the federal cabinet with new or reallocated portfolios. They include Khawaja Asif as Defence Minister, Azam Nazeer Tarar as Law & Justice Minister with additional portfolio of Human Rights, Musadik Malik as Minister for Climate Change & Environmental Coordination.
Attaullah Tarar will continue to serve as Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui as Minister for Federal Education & Professional Training, Qaiser Sheikh as Minister for Board of Investment, Abdul Aleem Khan as Minister for Communications, Chaudhry Salik Hussain as Minister for Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development and Rana Tanveer Hussain as National Food Security & Research.
The advisers were also allocated the portfolios. Rana Sanaullah Khan would continue as Adviser on Political and Public Affairs and Inter-Provincial Coordination, Dr Syed Tauqir Hussain Shah would serve as Adviser to the Prime Minister’s Office, Muhammad Ali as Adviser on Privatisation and Pervez Khattak as Adviser on Interior Affairs. They all have the status of a federal minister.
Similarly, the SAPMs are: Syed Tariq Fatemi; Fahd Haroon for Digital Media; Ambassador (retd) Muhammad Sadiq as Special Representative of Pakistan on Afghanistan; Tariq Bajwa, Coordination of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; Haroon Akhtar for industries & Production, Huzaifa Rehman, National Heritage & Culture; Mubarak Zeb, Tribal Affairs, and Talha Burki, Political Affairs. The SAPMs have the status of the minister of state. Only Fatemi doesn’t have a specific portfolio.
The coordinator to the Prime Minister are: Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination; Shabbir Ahmed Usmani for Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit Baltistan; Romina Khurshid Alam for Climate Change & Environmental Coordination; Rana Ihsaan Afzal Khan (without portfolio), Badar Shahbaz for Media; and Ikhtiar Wali for Information for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Affairs.
