PM Shehbaz's 19-member cabinet: Who gets which ministry?

ISLAMABAD: PML-N Senator Ishaq Dar was given the coveted slot of foreign minister as 19-member federal cabinet of newly-elected Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz took the oath of office on Monday, ARY News reported.

President Asif Ali Zardari administered oath to the newly appointed ministers of the federal cabinet led by PM Shehbaz. The oath-taking ceremony was held at in Aiwan-e-Sadr Islamabad.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), the main ally, has refused to become part of the federal cabinet.

Earlier, PM Shehbaz recommended a list of lawmakers to President Zardari for appointment as federal ministers. The list includes 12 MNAs and three senators as federal ministers, as well as a minister of state. Three technocrats — Muhammad Aurangzeb, Mohsin Naqvi and Ahad Cheema are also included in the cabinet.

The proposal for the appointment had been made under clause 1 of Article 92 (federal ministers and ministers of state) of the Constitution, which states: “Subject to clauses 9 and 10 of Article 91, the president shall appoint federal ministers and ministers of state from amongst the members of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) on the advice of the prime minister.”

Federal ministers

MNA Khawaja Muhammad Asif — defence, defence production, aviation

Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar — foreign affairs

MNA Ahsan Iqbal Chaudry — planning, development and special initiatives

MNA Rana Tanveer Hussain — industries and production

Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar — law and justice, human rights

MNA Chaudhry Salik Hussain — overseas Pakistanis and human resource development

MNA Abdul Aleem Khan — privatisation, Board of Investment

MNA Jam Kamal Khan — commerce

MNA Amir Muqam — states and frontier regions, national heritage and culture

MNA Sardar Awais Khan Leghari — railways

MNA Attaullah Tarar — information and broadcasting

MNA Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui — science and technology, federal education and professional training

MNA Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh — maritime affairs

MNA Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada — housing and works

Senator Musadik Masood Malik — petroleum, power

Muhammad Aurangzeb — finance, revenue

Ahad Khan Cheema — economic affairs, establishment

Mohsin Naqvi — interior, narcotics control

Muhammad Aurangzeb officially took charge as the Finance Minister after being sworn in at the President’s House.

Aurangzeb was picked over several veterans previously involved in handling the struggling economy, including four-time finance minister Ishaq Dar, as the country looks to plot a path out of its economic difficulties.

Ishaq Dar, who was given the portfolio of foreign minister, has been a member of the Senate from 2003 to 2022. He has earlier served as finance minister from 1998 to 1999, then from March to May 2008. Dar again led the finance ministry from 2013 to 2017 and then from 2022 to 2023.

Read More: 19-member federal cabinet takes oath

Pakistan’s current International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme expires next month, and PM Shehbaz Sharif said his government would look to negotiate a new, longer term bailout to keep the country’s economy stable amidst high inflation and external financing requirements.