— PML-N to take lion’s share with 14 ministers while PPP to get 11, JUI-F four
— Bilawal to head Foreign Ministry, Miftah Finance
ISLAMABAD: While the federal government finalised the federal cabinet, President Arif Alvi Saturday excused himself from administrating oaths to the cabinet members, following which the ceremony has been postponed.
According to sources, in the absence of President Alvi, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjarani will administer the oath to the members of the federal cabinet today or tomorrow.
Meanwhile, sources in the president’s house stated that the oath-taking ceremony is likely to take place either today or tomorrow (Wednesday).
Sources said that the federal cabinet has been finalised. Under the power-sharing formula, the PML-N will get a lion’s share in the cabinet with 14 ministers while the PPP will get 11, and the JUI-F will be given four ministries. Meanwhile, the rest of the seven positions will be allotted among other allies.
The sources said that the cabinet formation was delayed for a few days due to a boycott by the BNP-M who protested against the killing of a civilian in the Chagai district of Balochistan.
Per sources, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari would be appointed Foreign Minister, Miftah Ismail would be Finance Minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi would be Energy Minister, Ahsan Iqbal would be Planning Minister, Rana Sanaullah would be Interior Minister, Azam Nazir Tarar would be Law Minister while Naveed Qamar would be minister for commerce.
Khursheed Shah would be given Water Ministry, Sherry Rehman Climate Change, Qadir Patel Health, Shazia Marri BISP and Murtaza Mahmood Industries.
Qamar Zaman Kaira would be advisor for Kashmir Affairs, Hina Rabani Khar MoS for Foreign Affairs and Mustafa Nawaz MoS on Law & Justice.
Marriyum Aurangzeb is expected to be appointed as the information minister. Sources also said that PML-N’s Khawaja Asif, Saad Rafique, Khurram Dastgir, Shaista Pervaiz Malik, and Murtaza Javed are also likely to join the cabinet.
Independent candidates Mohsin Dawar and Aslam Bhootani and PML-Q’s Tariq Bashir Cheema are also likely to be included in the cabinet.
According to the government sources, the ministry of climate change will be given to PPP, civil aviation will be given to PML-N while Communications will go to the JUI-F. Defense would remain with the PML-N, Defense Production to BAP and Ministry of Education to the ANP.
Ministry of Housing will be given to JUI, Ministry of Information will be given to PML-N, while ministry of IT and Telecom would go to the MQM-P.
According to sources, inter-provincial ministry will be given to the PML-Q, while Kashmir affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan to PPP, Ministry of Health to the PPP, Ministry of Culture to PML-N, and Overseas Pakistanis to PPP.
The sources said that Parliamentary Affairs will be given to PML-N, Ministry of Poverty Alleviation, Privatization will go to the PPP and Ministry of Railways will be given to the PML-N, Ministries of Religious Affairs, Travel and Revenue will be given to PML-N. Science and Technology will go to the BAP while Ministry of Water Resources will be given to PPP.
Earlier in the day, PML-N leader Marriyum Aurangzeb, while speaking at a press conference, announced that the names of federal cabinet would be revealed soon.
