Islamabad:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif finalized the rejoicing of the federal cabinet on Friday by allocating portfolios to the newly introduced ministers as well as by reworking the portfolios of certain ministers on service, in order to improve the effectiveness of the government during his second year.
Unlike the assertions concerning austerity measures, the Prime Minister had recently expanded his team by introducing 12 federal ministers, nine state ministers, four special assistants (SAPM) and three advisers in the federal office. The new cabinet included two ministers for public affairs unit.
Despite the inclusion of certain new and old faces, the cabinet awaited the finalization of portfolios. With the last enthronement, the cabinet inflated its ranks to 30 federal ministers and nine state ministers. Likewise, Shehbaz has three advisers, four SAPMs and six coordinators.
According to a notification of the cabinet division on Friday, “the Prime Minister, under rule 3 (4) of the affairs rule, 1973, was happy to allocate portfolios (government affairs) to federal ministers and state ministers”.
He said Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry had received the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; Ali Pervaiz Malik, oil; Aurangzeb Khan Kichi, national heritage and culture; Khalid Magsi, Science and Technology; Hanif abbasi, railways; Mueen Wattoo, water resources; Junaid Anwar, Maritime Affairs; Raza Hayat Harraj, defense production; Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, Religious Affairs and Interconfessional Harmony; Shaza Fatima Khawaja, information technology and telecommunications; Rana Mubashar Iqbal, Public Affairs Unit and Syed Mustafa Kamal, National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination.
The new state ministers include Malik Rasheed Khan for national food security and research; Abdul Rehman Kanju, power with an additional portfolio of the public affairs unit; AQEEL Malik, Law & Justice; Bilal Azhar Kayani, railway; Kesoo Mal Kheal Das, religious affairs and interconfessional harmony; Mohammad Awn Saqlain, Pakistani abroad and development of human resources; Mukhtar Ahmad Malik, National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination; Talal Chaudhry, interior and narcotic control and Wajiha Qamar for federal education and vocational training.
The notification also bears names of ministers which already serve in the federal office with new or reassured wallets. They understand Khawaja Asif as Minister of Defense, Azam Nazeer Tarar as Minister of Law and Justice with an additional human rights portfolio, Musadik Malik as Minister of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination.
Attaullah Tarar will continue to serve the Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui as Minister of Federal Education and Vocational Training, Qaiser Sheikh as Minister of the Office of Investments, Abdul Aleem Khan as Minister of Communications, Chaudhry Salik Hussain as a national minister national research.
The advisers were also allocated to the wallets. Rana Sanaullah Khan would continue to advise political and public affairs and the interprotrovincial coordination, Dr. Syed Tauqir Hussain Shah would serve as an advisor to the Prime Minister’s office, Muhammad Ali as an advisor to privatization and Pervez Khattak as an advisor to domestic affairs. They all have the status of federal minister.
Likewise, SAPMs are: Syed Tariq Fatemi; Fahd Haroon for digital media; Ambassador (RETD) Muhammad Sadiq as special representative of Pakistan in 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 and Culture; Mubarak Zeb, tribal affairs and Talha Burki, political affairs. SAPMs have the status of the Minister of State. Only Fatemi does not have a specific portfolio.
The Prime Minister’s coordinator is: Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath for national health services, regulations and coordination; Shabbir Ahmed Usmani for cashmere and Gilgit Baltistan business; Romina Khurshid Alam for climate change and environmental coordination; Rana Ihsaan Afzal Khan (without wallets), Badar Shahbaz for the media; and Ikhtiar wali for information for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa business.
