Six-member caretaker federal cabinet sworn in

ISLAMABAD: A six-member caretaker federal cabinet appointed by interim prime minister Justice (retd) Nasirul Mulk was sworn-in on Tuesday.

President Mamnoon Hussain administered oath to the interim cabinet at the President House in Islamabad.

The cabinet includes former governor of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Shamshad Akhtar, former Pakistan ambassador to the United Nations Abdullah Hussain Haroon, former senator Roshan Khursheed Bharucha, Mohammad Yousuf Shaikh, Mohammad Azam Khan, and Syed Ali Zafar.

Haroon has been given the portfolio of foreign ministry and National Security Division along with the additional portfolio of Ministry of Defence. Akhtar has been appointed finance minister and planning minister in the caretaker setup. 

Azam Khan has been given the portfolio of Ministry of Interior, while Yusuf Shaikh has been made minister of education, as per a notification.

Among the newly-inducted cabinet members, Ali Zafar has been given the portfolio of Ministry of Law and Justice as well as Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and ministry of information.

Meanwhile, Roshan Khursheed will serve as minister of human rights and minster of states and frontier regions along with minister of Kashmir affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan in the caretaker setup, according to the notification.

The caretaker cabinet will serve until a new government is elected through the 2018 general election scheduled for July 25.

Profiles of newly-inducted cabinet members 

Abdullah Hussain Haroon

Abdullah Hussain Haroon served as an ambassador and Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations from 2008 to 2013.

Born on October 21, 1950, he served as member of the Sindh Assembly from 1985 to 1988, its speaker from 1985 to 1986 and as leader of the opposition from 1986 to 1988.

A scion of the Haroon family, he is a businessperson, social activist and has been a board member of various educational institutes, sports associations and charity organisations.

Dr Shamshad Akhtar

Dr Shamshad Akhtar is an under-secretary-general of the UN and currently serving as the 10 executive secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

Dr Akhtar made history after becoming the first female governor of SBP (2006-2009). Prior to her appointment as the SBP governor, Dr Akhtar served as the director general of Southeast Asia Department of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Before joining the ADB, Dr Akhtar worked for 10 years as an economist in the World Bank’s Resident Mission in Pakistan. In Pakistan, she also worked briefly with the Planning Offices of both the Federal and Sindh governments.

Roshan Khursheed Bharucha

Roshan Khursheed Bharucha served as a minister in the Balochistan Assembly between 2000 and 2002, in various departments, including those of social welfare, information, population and information technology. 

Bharucha then worked as a senator between 2003 and 2005, during which she developed strategies for basic health, education and women empowerment.  

Mohammad Azam Khan

Mohammad Azam Khan is a retired bureaucrat who served as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary. 

Barrister Syed Ali Zafar

Barrister Syed Ali Zafar is a renowned legal expert and is the son of prominent human rights activist and noted lawyer SM Zafar.

Mohammad Yousuf Shaikh

Mohammad Yousuf Shaikh served as the principal of Cadet College, Larkana. The retired major strove for education in Pakistan throughout his career.