Pakistan: Shehbaz Sharif’s new cabinet takes oath

Islamabad, April 19 : After much anticipation and delays, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s new cabinet was sworn in at an oath-taking ceremony at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Tuesday, Geo News reported. Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjarani administered the oath to the members of the federal cabinet, instead of President Arif Alvi after he excused himself from performing his constitutional duty. The cabinet has 31 federal ministers, three ministers of state and three advisers. The cabinet division issued a list of federal ministers, ministers of state and advisers included who will be sworn in in the first phase in the first phase of the induction on Monday night. Earlier, there was uncertainty among the coalition partners on whether they will be joining the federal cabinet as PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari had said that his party would not take ministries. However, later, Asif Zardari said that they want their friends to be accommodated first. Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’, a PML-N leader said that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari would become the next foreign minister. However, Bilawal is not among the members of the newly formed cabinet. ACL1258

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