ISLAMABAD -UNS: The newly-formed 19-member federal cabinet was sworn in here at a ceremony held at the Presidency on Monday.President Asif Ali Zardari administered oath to the ministers.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif picked a 19-member cabinet after “consultations” with party leaders and communicated the names to the president on Sunday.
The cabinet includes 12 MNAs and three senators as federal ministers, as well as Shaza Fatima Khawaja as a minister of state.
The cabinet is a blend of old and new faces. Old war horses include ex-defence minister Khawaja Asif, former finance minister Ishaq Dar, ex-planning minister Ahsan Iqbal, former law minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and ex-state minister for petroleum Musadik Malik.
Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party leader Aleem Khan and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui are among the ministers.
New faces in the cabinet are; former caretaker Punjab chief minister Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the Pakistan Cricket Board chief, PML-N’s Jam Jamal Khan, Amir Muqam, Awais Leghari, Attaullah Tarar, Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Riaz Hussain Pirzada and PML-Q’s Salik Hussain.
Muhammad Aurangzeb and former aide Ahad Cheema have also been named as cabinet members.
Meanwhile, premier Shehbaz Sharif summoned the first meeting of the cabinet at 5pm following the oath-taking ceremony.
