PM Shehbaz Sharif's long-awaited 34-member cabinet takes oath today

In absence of President Arif Alvi, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjarani likely to administer oath

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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addressing in National Assembly. Photo— Twitter National Assembly of Pakistan
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addressing in National Assembly. Photo— Twitter National Assembly of Pakistan

  • First phase of long-awaited induction of 34-member cabinet today.
  • 30 federal ministers, along with three advisers and four ministers of state make up PM Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet.
  • PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto's name not included in list issued by Cabinet Division.


Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s 34-member cabinet will finally take oath today (Tuesday) after the cabinet division issued a list of federal ministers, ministers of state and adviser included in the first phase of the induction last night. 

The list had the names of 30 federal ministers, four ministers of state and three advisers to the Prime Minister.

A day earlier, the federal cabinet had to take oath, but President Arif Alvi excused himself from administrating oaths to the federal cabinet members, leaving the government with no choice but to postpone it.

According to sources, in the absence of President Alvi, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjarani will likely administer the oath to the members of the federal cabinet today.

There was uncertainty among the parties of the ruling alliance on becoming a part of the federal cabinet as PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari had said that his party would not take ministries.

However, later, in a brief press talk at Parliament House on Saturday, Asif Zardari said that they want their friends to be accommodated first, The News reported. 

Meanwhile, speaking on Geo News programme 'Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath', a PML-N leader confirmed the federal cabinet would be taking oath today and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari would become the next foreign minister, but as per the list issued by the cabinet division, Bilawal Bhutto's name is not included.

According to the list issued by the cabinet division late night, 30 federal ministers, along with four advisers and four ministers of state will make up PM Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet.

As per the Cabinet Division, the PML-N, which leads the National Assembly with a majority among the ruling alliance, will have 12 federal ministers, two ministers of state, and two advisers.

The PPP will have nine federal ministers, two ministers of state, and one adviser to the PM.

Four ministers will be from JUIF, two from MQM-Pakistan, and one each from JWP, BAP, and PML-Q.

A list of the federal ministers:

PML-N

Khawaja Muhammad Asif, MNA

Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary, MNA

Rana Sana Ullah Khan, MNA

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, MNA

Rana Tanveer Hussain. MNA

Khurrum Dastagir Khan, MNA

Marriyum Aurangzeb, MNA

Khawaja Saad Rafique, MNA

Mian Javed Latif, MNA

Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada. MNA

Murtaza Javed Abbasi, MNA

Azam Nazeer Tarar, Senator

PPP

Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, MNA

Syed Naveed Qamar, MNA

Sherry Rehman, Senator

Abdul Qadir Patel, MNA

Shazia Marri, MNA

Syed Murtaza Mahmud, MNA

Sajid Hussain Turi, MNA

Ehsan ur Rehman Mazari, MNA

Abid Hussain Bhayo, MNA

MMA

Asad Mahmood, MNA

Abdul Wasay, MNA

Mufti Abdul Shakoor, MNA

Muhammad Talha Mahmood, Senator

MQM-P

Syed Amin-ul-Haque, MNA

Syed Faisal Ali Subzwari, Senator

BAP

Muhammad Israr Tareen, MNA

JWP

Nawabzada Shazain Bugti, MNA

PML-Q

Chaudhary Tariq Bashir Cheema, MNA

Ministers of state

PML-N

Dr. Aisha Ghaus Pasha, MNA

Abdul Rehman Khan Kanju, MNA

PPP

Hina Rabbani Khar, MNA

Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Senator

Advisers to the PM

PML-N

Miftah Ismail

Amir Muqam 

PPP

Qamar Zaman Kaira

According to The News , PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif contacted former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and asked him to hold the portfolio of minister for petroleum to steer the country out of the crisis, citing sources.

Sources further said the ruling coalition had not yet decided to remove President Arif Alvi because it would need comprehensive support in the national and provincial assemblies. The ruling parties would decide the name of the next president at an appropriate time.