Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani. – File Photo

ISLAMABAD: In a bid to keep the federal cabinet size reduced, the Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday assigned additional charges of different unmonitored ministries to eight federal ministers, DawnNews reported.

Federal ministers with their additional charges are, Manzoor Watto (ministry of Defence Production)-- Makhdoom Shahabuddin (ministery of Housing and Works)-- Hina Rabbani Khar (ministry of Economics affair Division)-- Raza Rabbani (ministry of Human Rights)-- Khurshid Shah (ministry of Labor and manpower)-- Syed Naveed Qamar (ministry of Water and Power)-- Samina Khalid Gharki (ministry of Women Development) and Engineer Shaukat Ullah (ministry of Sports.)

A reduction in the size of the cabinet is a legal requirement of the 18th amendment to the constitution, which stipulates it should be no larger than 11 percent of parliament, which would be a maximum of 49 members.

Gilani dissolved the cabinet last month after powerful opposition parties demanded a smaller line-up as part of retrenchment efforts to tackle Pakistan’s economic woes.

Opinion

Editorial

Quid pro quo
Updated 26 Jul, 2026

Quid pro quo

Accepting Israel would mean legitimising its violence against the Palestinians, as well as its neighbouring Arab states and Iran.
AI in government
26 Jul, 2026

AI in government

THE Prime Minister’s Office has announced the introduction of an AI-powered digital system and directed ministries...
Cautious optimism
26 Jul, 2026

Cautious optimism

THE latest polio surveillance figures offer some encouraging news regarding the difficult fight against polio. The...
Rampant lawlessness
Updated 25 Jul, 2026

Rampant lawlessness

THE brutal slaying of a judge and his guard in Mastung is the latest in a series of blood-drenched events that have...
Daily fuel pricing
25 Jul, 2026

Daily fuel pricing

THE government’s move to daily petroleum price adjustments should make fuel pricing more transparent and more...
The drug problem
25 Jul, 2026

The drug problem

WHILE Islamabad Police chase low-level peddlers, the capital’s kingpins have quietly taken their operations ...