ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet has been expanded with the addition of 27 new members, including 13 federal ministers, 11 state ministers, and three advisers. The oath-taking ceremony was held at the President House, where President Asif Ali Zardari administered the oath to the new members.
The ceremony was also attended by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Chairman of the Senate Yousuf Raza Gilani, and First Lady Asifa Bhutto Zardari. Hanif Abbasi, Moin Wattoo, Mustafa Kamal, Sardar Yusuf, Aurangzeb Kachhi, Rana Mubashir, Reza Hayat Haraz, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Ali Pervez Malik, Shaza Fatima, Junaid Anwar, and Khalid Magsi were sworn in as federal ministers.
Talal Chaudhry, Barrister Aqeel Malik, Malik Rasheed, Khieldas Kohistani, Abdul Rehman Kanjoo, Bilal Azhar Kayani, Mukhtar Bharat, Awan Chaudhry, and Wajih Qamar were also sworn in as ministers of state.
After the expansion of the federal cabinet, the notification of the appointment of federal ministers and ministers of state was also issued. According to the notification, Ali Pervez Malik and Shaza Fatima were promoted to the post of federal minister instead of minister of state.
In addition, the notification for the appointment of three advisors was also issued. The President approved the appointment of Dr. Tauqir Shah, Muhammad Ali, and Pervez Khattak as advisors on the advice of the Prime Minister.
However, one federal minister and two state ministers could not take an oath during the swearing-in ceremony. Imran Shah, Shajara Baqar, and Arman Sabhani could not reach the ceremony on time due to a traffic jam in Islamabad. Imran Shah was to be sworn in as a federal minister, while Shahzara and Arman Sabhani were to be sworn in as ministers of state.
This expansion of the federal cabinet has been done to effectively advance the government’s priorities. Along with the appointment of new members, the decision to promote existing members is also being considered an important step by the government.
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