Pakistan completes gov’t setup after new cabinet takes oath

APD NEWS

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**By APD Writer Muhammad Sohail **

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 4 (APD) -- Pakistan on Friday completed its government setup after new cabinet of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was sworn in at an oath-taking ceremony at the President House in the country’s capital of Islamabad.

According to a statement, a new cabinet consists of 43 members attended Friday's oath-taking administered by the country's president Mamnoon Hussain. The cabinet includes 27 federal ministers and 16 state minister, ranked higher to lower respectively.

Pakistan had to arrange a new cabinet after Nawaz Sharif was disqualified for the office of prime minister by the country’s apex court as over corruption charges last Friday.

The new cabinet was sworn after PM Abbasi was elected by the National Assembly (the lower house) as Pakistan’s new prime minister on Tuesday.

Khawaja Muhammad Asif, who previously held two ministries of defense, and water and power, has been given a portfolio of Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Asif is Pakistan’s first foreign minister during last four years as former prime minister Sharif kept the foreign affairs under his direct control.

Former Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir has been made Defense Minister. Ahsan Iqbal who was looking after the ministry of Planning, Development, and Reform with additional a additional charge of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has been appointed as interior minister after his predecessor senior politician Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan refused to be part of the cabinet.

Senator Ishaq Dar will continue as the Minister of Finance. The majority of the members had served in the cabinet of former Prime Minister Sharif, but the setup included some new faces.

Representation of the minorities has been doubled, while some ministries have been giving to the members from the backward areas.

PM Abbasi has decided to control the ministry of water and power, ministry of of Planning, Development, and Reform, and affaires of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor by himself, for what he says to speed up the development projects.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)