PM Abbasi appoints five new special assistants

E-Paper | July 24, 2026

The Prime Minister House on Tuesday announced the appointment of five special assistants for Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

The newly appointed assistants are Barrister Zafarullah Khan, Dr Mussadiq Malik, Muftah Ismail, Asif Kirmani and Khawaja Zaheer.

After these appointments, PM Abbasi's cabinet, which was expected to be smaller than his predecessor, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's cabinet, has grown to 57 members, which is more than twice the size of Sharif's which consisted of 25 ministers.

Earlier, PM Abbasi had appointed Sartaj Aziz, Mehtab Abbasi, Amir Muqam, Irfan Siddiqui and Jam Mashooq Ali as advisers.

The new cabinet members had also served in Sharif's government in the same capacity.

Sharif's other advisers Tariq Fatimi, Shujaat Azeem, Haroon Akhtar Khan and Sharjeel Adnan Sheikh, however, have not been included in the newly elected premier's cabinet.

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Mushtaq Ahmed

Aug 15, 2017 08:52pm

People of Pakistan can't afford such number of ministers, advisers and their advisers. Just look at developed countries with their size of economy they have one third size of our cabinet. Above all, these ministries what they to show as their meaningful services to everage citizens.

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MALIK

Aug 16, 2017 12:36am

I have a suggestion to make. Each time the PM announces, another cabinet post, 15 % of the PM's salary should be cut and given towards such new appointment. The Old Pakistan including the then East Pakistan had only ten cabinet ministers, now we have 57. Soon, they would be hundred, and the World Bank would be haunting us. What part of this is not clear to the political establishment of the country?

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MALIK

Aug 16, 2017 12:42am

New people just like the old people. Never misses disappointing us.

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Khalid iqbal

Aug 16, 2017 12:42am

What a waste of wealth ,creating seven figure salary jobs , distributing the country Wealth among the wealthy.

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Azam Qadeer

Aug 16, 2017 12:53am

PM we can not afford all this have some good sincere staff

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Visionary

Aug 16, 2017 01:06am

The large cabinet size (over 55) is a shame, a huge burden on the national exchequer, and a mockery of the people of Pakistan. The cabinet members for: US- 15; India- 25; Iran- 22; South Korea- 18; Russia- 32. The numbers speak for themselves, also judge the size of their economies, the population size, and the area. Contrast this to safety and security and economy of Pakistan. At least Aug 14 should motivate us to raise these issues.

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Amir

Aug 16, 2017 01:07am

its Public money . Please stop facilitating your supporters. Its shameful act. How long our Nation has to pay for these politicians, PPP or PML all are same.

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Dr Mahmood Haider

Aug 16, 2017 01:16am

This keeps coming up, successive administrations having variable number of ministers. Are these not regulated by the establishment i.e. Departments and Ministers. These should be clearly defined in the rules of business, like during last PM tenure a country of the stature as ours did not have a Foreign Minister. And now we have almost double the number of Ministers or equivalent to. This is not very efficient and certainly a drain on tax-payers.

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Saeed Ghaus

Aug 16, 2017 02:29am

57 cabinet members can the government translate this into cost to public exchequer, this is tax payers money and the government should not be allowed to misuse public funds. Is there a way to check this misuse?

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my Comments

Aug 16, 2017 02:42am

Wonder what those 'special assistants' will do for salaries paid to them by tax payers?

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Faisal

Aug 16, 2017 02:56am

It's an election Cabnet.

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Albela

Aug 16, 2017 04:21am

45 months for Pakistan to become a developed rich nation.

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Aug 16, 2017 04:27am

@Mushtaq Ahmed can these ministers justify their appointments?

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khan

Aug 16, 2017 06:12am

include any one who can help in next elections

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billy

Aug 16, 2017 08:05am

Mr Abbasi I am sure you manage your resources in your airline prudently but when it comes to country you don't care Did we have budget for these people? I am sure you strictly follow budget rules in your airline

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