ISLAMABAD: Raja Pervez Ashraf faces a tough road ahead after taking oath as the 25th Prime Minister of Pakistan, with the country’s electricity crisis and power riots being the main challenge of his premiership.

For the same reason, the newly elected prime minister on Saturday called an important meeting on the energy crisis — one of his first tasks on his first day in office.

The meeting, to be attended by members of the federal cabinet’s energy committee and officials of concerned authorities, will discuss strategies to overcome the crisis plaguing the country.

According to PM House officials, some important decisions are expected during the meeting.

Controversial choice

Many have dubbed the coalition’s choice for prime minister as a controversial one. The new PM faces a steep road as he sets out to resolve pressing issues faced by the government – some that he himself is widely blamed for.

Ashraf is currently fighting a corruption case from his tenure as water and power minister. He has also been blamed for much of the government’s inability to resolve a disastrous energy crisis.

Shortly after being elected, Ashraf had said that his focus was the power crisis, which he promised to resolve despite being widely criticised for incompetence while at the power ministry from March 2008 to February 2011.

“Our first priority will be to resolve the power crisis,” he said. “I hope soon we will find a solution.”

Ashraf may also come under immediate pressure from the Supreme Court to write to Swiss authorities, asking them to reopen corruption investigations into President Asif Ali Zardari – refusal for which saw Gilani convicted of contempt.

New cabinet retains old portfolios

Most members of the new federal cabinet held on to their old portfolios after being sworn in on Friday. A notification in this regards was issued here today.

Twenty seven new federal ministers and 11 new ministers for state took oath.

The Ministry for Finance was retained by Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh , Information Ministry was awarded to Qamar Zaman Kaira, Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan got hold of his  old portfolio of the  Communications Ministry and  Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour was made Minister for Railways.

Similarly, Haji Khuda Bakhsh Rajar was given his old Ministry for Anti- Narcotics, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani was once again made the Minister for Inter-provincial coordination, Rana Mohammad Farooq Saeed Khan was awarded the Ministry for Climate change and Syed Naveed Qamar was made the Minister for Defence.