Pakistan: President Zardari administers oath to PM Shehbaz's Cabinet

NEW DELHI: Pakistan's new Cabinet took oath on Monday at President Asif Ali Zardari's House. President Zardari administered the oath to the newly formed 19-member Cabinet.

Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Asif, Mohsin Naqvi, Ahsan Iqbal, Shaza Fatima, Jam Kamal, and Aleem Khan, among others, were notable figures who took the oath.

According to a report by Geo News, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif initially planned to keep his cabinet small, but more ministers will be added in the second phase.

In the new cabinet, former finance minister Ishaq Dar has been appointed as the foreign minister, while Tariq Fatemi will serve as the special assistant to the prime minister on foreign affairs.

Aurangzeb Khan will oversee the finance ministry, and Mohsin Naqvi, the former Punjab chief minister, will be given the interior ministry.

The ministry of law will be led by veteran Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Azam Tarar. Attaullah Tarar will be the information minister, and Khawaja Asif will head the Defense Ministry, according to sources.

The petroleum ministry will be handed over to Musadik Malik, while the ministry of information technology and telecommunication will be led by Shaza Fatima Khawaja, according to sources.

Ahad Cheema has been appointed as an adviser to the prime minister for the establishment division.

Additionally, former Balochistan CM Jam Kamal and PML-Quaid's Chaudhry Salik Hussain will join the federal cabinet, as reported by Geo News.

Abdul Aleem Khan from the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) and PML-N politician Amir Muqam are also expected to be included in the cabinet. Furthermore, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) will be given two ministries. The oath ceremony takes place a week after Prime Minister Shehbaz's inauguration and a day after President Zardari's swearing-in as the head of state.

(With ANI input)