Cabinet reshuffle sees new members get portfolios
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• Adjustments made for newcomers, principal secretary’s post abolished
• Petroleum ministry goes to Ali Pervaiz, Musadik gets climate change instead
• Interior Ministry to have three bosses as Khattak becomes adviser, Talal made state minister
ISLAMABAD: Amid jostling for key ministries, the government on Friday finally announced portfolios for several newly appointed federal ministers, ministers of state, special assistants and advisers to the prime minister.
In order to accommodate the new inductees, some reshuffling of portfolios was necessary.
According to notifications issued by the cabinet division, a dozen new federal ministers have been allocated portfolios.
In addition, the new ministers of state and their portfolios are: Malik Rasheed Ahmad Khan, National Food Security & Research; Abdul Rehman Khan Kanju, Power, with additional charge of Public Affairs Unit; Aqeel Malik, Law & Justice; Bilal Azhar Kayani, Railways; Kesoo Mal Kheal Das, Religious Affairs & Interfaith Harmony; Mohammad Awn Saqlain, Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development; Mukhtar Ahmad Malik, National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination; Talal Chaudhry, Interior & Narcotics Control; and, Wajiha Qamar, Federal Education & Professional Training.
A separate notification said that former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Pervez Khattak has been appointed Adviser to PM on Interior Affairs.
Three ‘heavyweights’
A source while talking to Dawn claimed that Mr Khattak, who had parted ways with the PTI, had demanded control of the interior ministry.
The ministry will be now overseen by three heavyweights — incumbent Federal Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Minister of State Talal Chaudhry and Adviser to PM Pervez Khattak.
It has been learnt that the government has decided to abolish the post of principal secretary to the PM as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s confidant Dr Syed Tauqir Hussain Shah has been appointed adviser to the PM’s Office.
Abdul Aleem Khan managed to win the contest for the communications ministry, though he had to cede two additional portfolios — privatisation and the Board of Investment, the latter going to Qaiser Sheikh, who was previously minister for maritime affairs.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Ali has been appointed adviser to the privatisation ministry.
Through a separate notification, four SAPMs were assigned their portfolios with Haroon Akhtar getting Industries and Production, Huzaifa Rehman receiving National Heritage and Culture, Mubarak Zeb getting Tribal Affairs, while Political Affairs going to Talha Burki. In the new set-up, Musadik Malik has became Minister for Climate Change & Environmental Coordination. The portfolios of other existing federal ministers have remained mostly unchanged.
Expansion & law
Following the Feb 27 expansion in the cabinet, 12 federal ministers and nine ministers of state were sworn in by President Asif Ali Zardari. Three advisers and four special assistants to the prime minister were also inducted.
The size of the cabinet doubled, increasing its members from 21 to 43, including 30 federal ministers, nine ministers of state and four advisers. Most of the newly inducted members belong to the ruling PML-N, but allied parties also got their share.
According to Article 92 of the Constitution, no more than one-fourth of federal ministers and ministers of state can be from the Senate, and the total size of the cabinet cannot exceed 11pc of the total parliamentary membership.
At present, the National Assembly and Senate have 336 and 96 members, respectively, totalling 432.
Having a hefty federal cabinet is not a new phenomenon, as almost all previous regimes had claimed they would keep its size small, but later packed their cabinets.
Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2025
