Coalition cabinet expands as new ministers, advisors sworn in – World Pakistan

• Three ministers unable to take oath due to traffic congestion in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The PML-N-led coalition government expanded its federal cabinet to 46 members with 27 new federal ministers, state ministers and advisors took oath at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Thursday.

President Asif Ali Zardari administered the oath to the new federal cabinet members at a prestigious ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, wherein Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani were also in attendance.

A total of 12 federal ministers, 9 ministers of state, and 3 advisers were inducted into the cabinet.

The induction of 13 federal ministers, 11 state ministers, and three advisors to the federal cabinet saw the inclusion of the coalition parties in the PM Shehbaz-led government.

Those sworn in as federal ministers include: Hanif Abbasi, Moeen Watto, Mustafa Kamal, Sardar Yousuf, Aurangzeb Katchi, Rana Mubashir, Raza Hayat Hiraj, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Ali Pervaiz Malik, Shaza Fatima, Junaid Anwar, and Khalid Magsi.

Among the new ministers of state are: Talal Chaudhry, Barrister Aqeel Malik, Malik Rasheed, Kheal Das Kohistani, Abdul Rehman Kanju, Bilal Azhar Kayani, Mukhtar Bharath, Aun Chaudhry, and Wajiha Qamar.

The newly appointed advisers include Pervez Khattak, Tauqir Shah, and Muhammad Ali.

The families and close relatives of the newly appointed cabinet members also attended the swearing-in ceremony.

However, three ministers were unable to take the oath due to traffic congestion in Islamabad. Imran Shah was set to be sworn in as federal minister, while Shezra Mansab and Armaghan Subhani were scheduled to take oath as ministers of state but failed to reach on time.