Caretaker cabinet of PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar sworn in

• Shamshad Akhtar given portfolio of Finance Ministry.
• Sarfraz Bhugti named as caretaker interior minister.
• PM convenes maiden session of his cabinet tomorrow.

ISLAMABAD: Newly-appointed Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar's cabinet was sworn in on Thursday at a ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad.

President Arif Alvi administered the oath to the 16-member interim federal cabinet at the President House.

According to a document, 16 federal ministers, 5 special advisers and 3 advisers are part of the new cabinet.

Federal ministers

1. Senator Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti — Interior/ Overseas Pakistanis/ NARCO
2. Jalil Abbas Jilani — Foreign Affairs
3. Shamshad Akhtar — Finance and Revenue / Economic Affairs /Statistics/ Privatization
4. Lt General (retd) Anwar Ali Hyder — Defence/ Defence Production/ Aviation
5. Murtaza Solangi — Information and Broadcasting
6. Sami Saeed — Planning Development
7. Shahid Ashraf Tarar — Communication (Railways/ Postal Services/ Ports/ Maritime Affairs)
8. Ahmad Irfan Aslam — Law and Justice / National Resources / Climate Change and Water
9. Muhammad Ali — Energy and Power / Petroleum
10. Gohar Ejaz — Commerce/ Textile / Industries / Production
11. Umar Saif — Information Technology and Telecommunication /Science and Technology
12. Nadeem Jan — National Health Services, Regulation and Control
13. Khalil George — National Health Services, Regulation and Control
14. Aneeq Ahmad — Religious Affairs/ Hajj/ Interfaith Harmony
15. Jamal Shah — National Heritage and Culture
16. Madad Ali Sindhi — Federal Education / National Harmony / Youth Affairs

Advisers to PM

1. Air Marshal (retd) Farhat Hussain Khan — Aviation
2. Ahad Khan Cheema — Establishment
3. Waqar Masood Khan — Finance

Special Advisors

1. Mishal Hussain Malik — Human Rights / Women Empowerment
2. Jawad Sohrab Malik — Overseas
3. Vice Admiral (retd) Iftikhar Rao — Maritime Affairs
4. Wasih Shah — Tourism
5. Dr Jehanzeb Khan — Govt Effectiveness / SIFC Syeda Arifa Zehra — Education and National Harmony Affairs

The ceremony started with the national anthem before the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran and was attended by Intermin Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, politicians and prominent figures from all walks of life.

Ministers, advisers assigned portfolios

Soon after the oath taking ceremony, the caretaker ministers, advisers and special advisers were assigned their portfolios by Interim Premier Kakar.

According to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division, the prime minister awarded the portfolios of Finance and Revenue, Economic Affairs, Statistics and Privatisation to former State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) governor Shamshad Akhtar. Earlier this week, Dr Akhtar — who was also finance minister in the caretaker government prior to the 2018 general election — was conferred Nishan-e-Imtiaz by President Alvi on Independence Day.

Former foreign secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani has been given the ministry of foreign affairs. She served as the SBP governor from January 2, 2006, for a three-year term, becoming the first woman to head the country’s central bank.

Meanwhile, Jilani has 38 years of bilateral and multilateral experience as a public servant and career diplomat, having served as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Belgium, Luxemburg, the EU, and Australia.

Jilani was appointed foreign secretary in 2012, and while serving the post, he was closely involved in negotiations and finalisation of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), signing the key agreements for the project during the visit of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang under the then-Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government.

Eminent textile industrialist and Chief Executive of Ejaz Group of Companies Dr Gohar Ejaz has been assigned portfolios of Commerce, Textile, Industries and Production.

Furthermore, ministries of Interior, Overseas Pakistanis and NARCO has been assigned to Senator Sarfraz Bugti. Previously, he held the portfolio of minister of home and tribal affairs of Balochistan.

Lieutenant General (retd) Anwar Ali Haider was given the portfolios of Defence, Defence Production and Aviation.

Meanwhile, the caretaker prime minister has convened a maiden session of his cabinet on Friday (tomorrow).