MUZAFFARABAD, Jan 13: AJK Prime Minister Sardar Mohammad Yaqoob Khan on Tuesday appointed eight ministers in his cabinet a week after assuming office.

Three of the eight ministers belong to the Muslim Conference (forward bloc), two to the AJK People’s Party, one each to the so-called progressive group of the former ruling party, People’s Muslim League (PML), and the MQM. Official sources told Dawn that the ministers would take oath on Wednesday.

AJK president Raja Zulqarnain Khan will administer the oath. The ministers are: Mian Abdul Waheed (Neelum district), Mrs Noreen Arif (Muzaffarabad), Sardar Qamaruz Zaman (Bagh), Raja Nisar Ahmed Khan (Kotli), Chaudhry Mohammad Yousaf (Mirpur), Chaudhry Anwaar ul Haq (Bhimber), Abdul Majid Khan and Tahir Khokhar.

The new ministers have not been allocated portfolios.

The prime minister’s media adviser, Abdul Khaliq Wasi, said the government had tried to give representation to all areas and all coalition partners. More ministers would be inducted shortly, he added.—Tariq Naqash