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Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to expand his cabinet with the inclusion of four new members, the PM Office announced on Saturday.
According to the official handout, the new members of the cabinet include former Senate chairman Mohammad Mian Soomro, Ali Zaidi, Murad Saeed and Umer Ayub Khan.
Mohammad Mian Soomro will be made the minister for privatisation, Umer Ayub will be allocated the portfolio of energy and Ali Zaidi will assume the charge as minister for maritime affairs, the PM House said.
However, the portfolio of Murad Saeed will be announced later, it added.
The new ministers will be administered the oath by the newly-elected president Dr Arif Alvi who himself is expected to take oath on Sunday.
The expansion takes the strength of cabinet to a total of 25 members. Earlier the cabinet included 17 ministers and four advisers.
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Comments (30) Closed
Sep 08, 2018 06:47pm
Welcome to the club of the federal cabinet under the newly elected administration in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Keep it up and hang on tough.
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Sep 08, 2018 06:53pm
I have a difference of opinion with those who keep counting the # of ministers. Its about the ability of the minister to handle his ministry and bureaucracy. If we got a cabinet strength of 60 instead of 40 and all of them are eligible, then they are more feasible than a cabinet of 40 inefficient ministers. A sitting gov should have the courage to replace an inefficient minister. By this, rest of the cabinet will get its share of alert.
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Sep 08, 2018 06:55pm
PM has not offered any portfolio to Legislatures of Faisalabad from where PTI got heavy mandate.
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Sep 08, 2018 07:04pm
Already PM Khan has expanded his Cabinet to include 25 ministers besides himself, so far. This is supposed to be a small cabinet. But, in comparison, Indian cabinet has
26 ministers, while British Cabinet is composed of just 21 ministers.
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Sep 08, 2018 07:06pm
Seems quite austere. 25 ministers and endless advisors.
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Sep 08, 2018 07:06pm
When the country is in deficit, Mr PM is busy is expanding government budget by handing out Ministries to close friends
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Sep 08, 2018 07:40pm
All these posts and departments are bogus, unnecessary and clearly be eliminated.
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Sep 08, 2018 07:41pm
Well deserving selection
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Sep 08, 2018 07:57pm
Are all the ministers and alike working voluntarily or they are paid salary and perks is my very naive question to none but honorable Prime Minister Imran Khan? I will be quite aloud to say that Imran should not burden our national exchequer by recruiting a brigade of ministers, state ministers, advisors and special assistants unless they work free. I am pro Imran for sure but it does not mean that I second to his all actions. Will someone from our Islamabad power corridor tell me what salary and perk they are getting and then I will open your minds and eyes on the subject and you will certainly ponder and wonder then? Iqbal Hadi Zaidi
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Sep 08, 2018 08:04pm
Don't make the govt. too big or it will be difficult to run.
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Sep 08, 2018 08:14pm
Payback time .... naya Pakistan ?
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Sep 08, 2018 08:23pm
Bringing in professionals to fix the wrongs of the past. Good luck to all.
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Sep 08, 2018 08:43pm
I think Ali Zaidi should have been minister for IT.
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Sep 08, 2018 08:46pm
What about a full time minister of interior.
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Sep 08, 2018 09:03pm
Wow, soomro who was a corrupt caretaker PM and cost PIA so much money for his lavish trips abroad. Before he left he also signed up for unlimited perks for caretaker PMs!
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Sep 08, 2018 09:14pm
And the history starts to repeat
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Sep 08, 2018 09:21pm
In this period of austerity, why in hell 26 ministers are needed. Many of the minister ship could have been a department level head under another minister’s office. Other day, I read the Punjab Government is adding more ministers. To me it looks like someone is bowing down to pressures and appeasing the ruling party & its supporting party members. Curb these expansions to reduce expenditures. On one hand, reducing number of cars and employees at the prime minister’s house (that also takes away employment opportunities from the poor (gardeners, drivers, cooks etc.) and on the other hand more ministers for no real reasons (explain the reason if any). I have better expectations from IK.
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Sep 08, 2018 09:56pm
@Khaled - What about it?
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Sep 08, 2018 10:35pm
Murad Saeed and many more are question? in terms of their ability to deliver time will tell
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Sep 08, 2018 11:49pm
These 4 are the best of appointments made by PM Khan. Congratulations to Pakistan.
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Sep 09, 2018 12:21am
I guess new ministers had to go through the process of faith checking first, which seemingly is the most essential qualification in Pakistan to perform public duties!
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Sep 09, 2018 01:01am
Are they selected based on merit?
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Sep 09, 2018 01:21am
If ministeries are being spread around like a pack of chocolates; might as well make a Minister of Twitter, and Minister of Facebook.
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Sep 09, 2018 01:44am
"If it turns out that CPEC ends up simply servicing the activities for China, it will be good but not great. The benefits will not be realised to the fullest".This is from his Minister, and misleading, in fact it will be a disaster for Pakistan. So the prime minister should be talking to the Chinese about changing the game so Pakistan gets some return on Pakistani investment. Chinese are guaranteed return on their investment, where is the guarantee for Pakistan? Why Pakistan is paying for infrastructure that China plans to use for her exports. why Pakistan is signing long term leases and no tax? Why are we not charging them transportation levies and income taxes that they will generate? May be the new ministers can look into this!
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Sep 09, 2018 03:34am
Ministers should not get any money from Pakistan. These Politicians are so rich to begin with
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Sep 09, 2018 06:48am
Alhamdolillah so far so good. Kept it up . Full support to continue to our beloved PM
Imran Khan.
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Sep 09, 2018 06:58am
This must be part of austerity!
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Sep 09, 2018 07:36am
@IQBAL HADI ZAIDI , I endorse and support your comments.
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Sep 09, 2018 09:33am
Appointing a minister of privatization proves that privatization is still on the cards, regardless of the rhetoric and criticism by the PTI of the previous govt's privatization drive. Which assets is Mr. Khan planning to sell? Can he be transparent and honest about this?
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Sep 09, 2018 09:46am
@M. Saeed Plz kindly research before posting a comment. India has 77 Ministers.
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