November 05, 2008	Wednesday	Ziqa'ad 6, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Nov 4: The government on Tuesday announced portfolios of new ministers, reshuffled three ministries and created five new portfolios, but kept at least seven ministries vacant, apparently for future inductions.

A notification issued by the Cabinet Division made no mention of veteran PPP leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim as a senior minister, as had been reported in the media.

Fifteen of the ministers are inducted from Punjab, 11 from Sindh, six from the NWFP, three from Balochistan and two from Fata.

Thirty of them belong to the Pakistan People’s Party, two to the Awami National Party, two to Fata, one to the Pakistan Muslim League-F and one each to the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F and the Balochistan National Party (Awami). One is an ‘independent’.

Noteworthy among the new portfolios is that of ‘New Initiatives’ which used to be a rather insignificant wing of the ministry of industries and production, and ‘postal services’, which used to be part of the communications ministry.

‘Zakat and Ushr’ has been carved out of the ministry of religious affairs, textile industry from commerce, planning and development from finance, livestock and dairy development from food and agriculture, human rights from law and justice, states and frontier regions from Kashmir and Northern Areas Affairs and privatisation from investment.

The portfolios for which no ministers have been appointed are those of women development, culture, economic affairs, IT, science and technology, ports and shipping and tourism.

Seventeen of the 22 new ministers have been given portfolios held so far by 15 ministers looking after more than one ministry.

Khawaja Mohammad Khan Hoti of the ANP, who was the minister of social welfare and special education, has been shifted to the ministry of narcotics control, which used to be part of the interior ministry.

Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour of the same party, who did not like the ministry of local government and rural development, is the new minister of railways. He held the post in the cabinet of Mian Nawaz Sharif.

Humayun Aziz Kurd, who held the portfolio of population welfare, has been moved to the ministry of livestock and dairy development.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rahman retained her portfolio, a setback for some elements who were reported to be trying for her replacement by Farahnaz Ishphanani.

Senator Mian Raza Rabbani, who had refused to take oath in the cabinet inducted by former president Pervez Musharraf, gets inter-provincial coordination. Dr Babar Awan is the minister for parliamentary affairs.

Among the 18 new ministers of state, 14 belong to the PPP, two to the ANP, one to PML-F and one to Fata. Ten of them are from Punjab, four from Sindh, two from the NWFP and one each from Fata and Balochistan.

The portfolios of the 37 federal ministers are as follows:

Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Commerce; Arbab Alamgir Khan, Communications; Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar Khan, Defence; Abdul Qayum Jatoi, Defence Production; Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Education; Hameedullah Jan Afridi, Environment; Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Foreign Affairs; Nazar Mohammad Gondal, Food and Agriculture; Mir Ijaz Hussain Jakhrani, Health; Rehmatullah Kakar, Housing and Works; Syed Mumtaz Alam Gilani, Human Rights; Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo, Industries and Production; Sherry Rahman, Information and Broadcasting; Mian Raza Rabbani, Inter-Provincial Coordination; Waqar Ahmed Khan, Investment; Qamar Zaman Kaira, Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas; Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah, Labour and Manpower; Farooq H. Naek, Law and Justice; Humayun Aziz Kurd, Livestock and Dairy Development; Justice (retd) Abdul Razzaq Thahim, Local Government and Rural Development; Shahbaz Bhatti, Minorities; Nawabzada Khawaja Mohammad Khan Hoti, Narcotics Control; Dr Zaheeruddin Babar Awan, Parliamentary Affairs; Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Planning and Development; Dr Firdaus Ashiq Awan, Population Welfare; Mir Israrullah Zehri, Postal Services; Syed Naveed Qamar, Privatisation; Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Railways; Syed Hamid Seed Kazmi, Religious Affairs; Samina Khalid Ghurki, Social Welfare and Special Education; Pir Aftab Hussain Shah Jilani, Sports; Najmuddin Khan, States and Frontier Regions; Lal Mohammad Khan, Special Initiatives; Rana Mohammad Farooq Saeed Khan, Textile Industry; Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Water and Power; Shahid Hussain Bhutto, Youth Affairs; and Pir Noorul Haq Qadri, Zakat and Ushr.

The portfolios of ministers of state are as follows: Chaudhry Imtiaz Safdar Waraich, Communications; Arbab Mohammad Zahir Khan, Defence; Sardar Salim Haider Khan, Defence Production; Ghulam Farid Kathia, Education; Hina Rabbani Khar, Finance and Economic Affairs; Rafique Ahmed Jamali, Food and Agriculture; Nawabzada Malik Amad Khan, Foreign Affairs; Mohammad Afzal Sandhu, Health; Mohammad Tariq Anis, Housing and Works; Ayatollah Durrani, Industries and Production; Syed Samsam Al Shah Bokhari, Information and Broadcasting; Tasneem Ahmed Qureshi, Interior; Abdul Raziq, Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas; Masood Abbas, Local Government and Rural Development; Mehreen Anwar Raja, Parliamentary Affairs; Sardar Nabil Ahmed Gabol, Ports and Shipping; Mohammad Jadam Mangrio, Railways; and Shagufta Jumani, Religious Affairs.