Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Asif, Muhammad Aurangzeb get key federal ministries

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has assigned key portfolios of foreign affairs, defence and finance to Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Asif and veteran banker Muhammad Aurangzeb, respectively.       

Earlier today, the President's House was packed with newly elected parliamentarians inducted into the federal cabinet.

While some of these are veteran politicians who have experience in managing various ministries at the Centre, for others it would be the first time overseeing a key federal ministry.

Following are the profiles of some of the members of the federal cabinet.

Khawaja Asif

Khawaja Asif, who has been assigned the portfolio of Ministry of Defence, was elected as a member of the Senate in 1991 and a member of the National Assembly in 1993. He was elected as an MNA in 1997, 2002, 2008, 2013, 2018 and 2024.

This is the third time that Asif will serve as a defence minister, he has previously also served as the minister of foreign affairs, water and power, and petroleum.

Asif has also been given additional portfolios of defence production and aviation.

Ahsan Iqbal

Ahsan Iqbal, who has been assigned the portfolio of planning, development and special Initiatives, was first elected as an MNA in 1993. Later, he was elected as a member of the lower house of parliament in 1997, 2008, 2013, 2018 and 2024.

He has also previously served as the interior and planning minister. Ahsan survived an assassination attack in 2018 over alleged blasphemy allegations.

Mohsin Naqvi

Former Punjab chief minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi, who belongs to the Syed family of Jhang, was born in Lahore and completed his primary education at the Crescent Model School.

Later, he graduated from the Government College Lahore. For higher education, Naqvi obtained a journalism degree from the United States of America and also worked with an American broadcasting organisation. He is currently serving as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Naqvi has been assigned the responsibility of the Interior Ministry in the cabinet. He has also been given the additional portfolio of narcotics control.

Ishaq Dar

Senator Ishaq Dar, who has been appointed as the foreign affairs minister, has been a member of the Senate from 2003 to 2022. He has earlier served as finance minister from 1998 to 1999, then from March to May 2008.

Dar again led the finance ministry from 2013 to 2017 and then from 2022 to 2023. He was also the minister of industry and investment from February 1997 to July 1997 as well as commerce from December 1997 to October 1999. Previously, Dar was named as the Leader of Opposition in the Senate from March 2012 to June 2013.

Musadik Malik

Musadik Malik served as a member of the Senate since March 12, 2018. He was the federal minister of water and power from April to June 2013. Malik was the minister of state from 2013 to 2018 as well as the minister of petroleum and energy from April 2022 to August 2023.

Malik has been given the portfolio of the petroleum ministry and handed over an additional portfolio of Power.

Attaullah Tarar

The deputy secretary general of PML-N, Attaullah Tarar, is the grandson of former president Mohammad Rafiq Tarar. He first became a federal minister during the previous tenure of PM Shehbaz and served in his cabinet as a special assistant for interior and legal affairs.

Tarar has also previously served as the spokesperson of the Punjab government. In July 2022, he was appointed as the special assistant to PM on anti-narcotics department in the federal cabinet. The young politician has also served as Punjab home minister in December 2022.

Tarar got the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Riaz Pirzada

Riaz Pirzada — who has previously served as federal minister for Human Rights (2022) and minister for Inter-Provincial Communication (2017-2018) — has been assigned the portfolio of housing and works.

The veteran politician has previously been elected as a member of the National Assembly in 1993 and 2018, and a member of the Punjab Assembly in 1985 and 1988.

Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui

Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, the convener of Mutahidda Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, who has previously headed multiple ministries, became the federal minister for science and technology.

He has also been given an additional portfolio of Federal Education and Professional Training.

Muhammad Aurangzeb

Muhammad Aurangzeb, a veteran banker who has served as director of the Pakistan Business Council and holds a senior position at a private bank, has been given the portfolio of Ministry of Finance. He was also been given an additional charge of revenue.

Aleem Khan

Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party chief Aleem Khan who got elected to the lower house by winning Lahore's NA-117 seat is also part of Shehbaz's cabinet and has previously headed the Ministry of Food from 2019 to 2021 in the Punjab government.

Aleem has been assigned the portfolio of privatisation ministry. He has also been given an additional portfolio of the Board of Investment.

Awais Ahmad Leghari

Awias Ahmad Leghari, the son of former president Farooq Ahmad Leghari, was elected as a member of the Punjab Assembly from 1997 to 1999. He served as the federal minister for information technology from 2002 to 2004 and minister for energy from 2017 to 2018.

Leghari has also been given the portfolio of railways.

Jam Kamal Khan

Former Balochistan chief minister, Jam Kamal Khan, served as the provincial chief executive from 2018 to 2021. He has also headed the petroleum ministry from 2013 to 2018.

Jam has been assigned a Ministry of Commerce.

Azam Nazeer Tarar was assigned the portfolio of Law and Justice and he was given additional charge of human rights.

Rana Tanveer Hussain was given the responsibility of Industries and Production. Chaudhry Salik Hussain got the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development. While Engineer Amir Muqam was given the portfolio of States and Frontier Regions. He has been assigned the additional charge of National Heritage and Culture.