- Sources say Chief Minister Shehbaz will maintain a small cabinet for some time.
- Ishaq Dar is likely to become foreign minister, sources added.
- The Prime Minister calls the first meeting of the federal cabinet today at five in the afternoon.
ISLAMABAD: The 19-member federal cabinet took oath on Monday at Awan-e-Sadr and President Asif Ali Zardari conducted the oath-taking ceremony.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday recommended 19 names to the president to be inducted into the federal cabinet, according to a summary sent to Aiwan-e-Sadr.
Among those recommended for federal ministries, under Clause 1 of Article 92 of the Constitution, are PML-N legislators Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Asif, Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Rana Tanveer, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Jam Kamal Khan, Amir Muqam, Awais Leghari and Attaullah Tarar, while Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui of MQM-P and Abdul Aleem Khan of Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party are also in the list.
Furthermore, Senators Ishaq Dar and Musadik Malik have also been recommended to be appointed as Federal Ministers under Clause 9 of Article 91 of the Constitution as both of them will cease to be Senators on March 12 (tomorrow) after the end of their term. term in the Senate.
This clause authorizes the Prime Minister to include in the federal cabinet any person who is not a member of Parliament for a period of six months.
Three more names who have been recommended for appointment as federal ministers (under clause 9 of Article 91) include Muhammad Aurangzeb, Ahad Khan Cheema and Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi.
Meanwhile, Shaza Fatima is the only woman recommended for inclusion in the federal cabinet. She will be sworn in as a minister of state under Article 92, paragraph 1, of the Constitution, the summary reads.
Sources added that the prime minister initially decided to keep his cabinet small, but more ministers will be brought in in the second phase.
The swearing-in of the federal cabinet will come a week after Prime Minister Shehbaz was sworn in as the country's 24th prime minister, while President Zardari was sworn in as head of state a day ago with all dignitaries present during the swearing-in. taking ceremony.
The following is a list of names with their party affiliation and possible portfolios, according to sources:
| Name | Party | briefcase |
| Khawaja Asif | PML-N | Defending |
| Ahsan Iqbal | PML-N | Planning |
| Qasir Ahmed Sheikh | PML-N | – |
| Riaz Hussain Pirzada | PML-N | – |
| Rana Tanveer | PML-N | – |
| Azam Nazeer Tarar | PML-N | Law |
| Jam Kamal Khan | PML-N | – |
| Amir Muqam | PML-N | – |
| Awais Leghari | PML-N | – |
| Attaullah Tarar | PML-N | Information and broadcasting |
| Abdul Aleem Khan | PPI | – |
| Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui | MQM-P | – |
| Ishaq Dar | PML-N | External relationships |
| Musadik Malik | PML-N | Petroleum |
| Muhammad Aurangzeb | – | Finance |
| Ahad Khan Cheema | – | Establishment Division |
| Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi | – | Inside |
| Fatima Shaza | PML-N | Information Technologies and Telecommunications |
PM Shehbaz calls cabinet meeting
Meanwhile, the prime minister called the first meeting of the federal cabinet today at 5 pm, after the swearing-in ceremony.
Ministers will be handed their portfolios once they are sworn into their respective positions.
