Several ministries still without ministers

ISLAMABAD: Several important ministries and divisions are without ministers even after the formation of the federal cabinet.

Due to the small size of the cabinet, Prime Minister Shebhaz Sharif kept portfolios of more than a dozen ministries and divisions with him. The 19-member federal cabinet took oath Monday, after which all the 19 ministers were allocated portfolios of one or more ministries or divisions.

Out of 33 federal ministries and 40 divisions, portfolios of more than a dozen ministries and divisions have not been allocated to anyone.

While the prime minister did not appoint Federal Minister for Energy, he made Mussadik Malik Minister of Petroleum Division. He also got the additional portfolio of Power Division. The Minister in-charge of IT is prime minister, as Shaza Fatima Khwaja has been made Minister of State.

For the first time in the country’s history, five non-elected persons have been appointed ministers at a time in any elected government.

They are Muhammad Aurangzeb, Mohsin Naqvi, Ahad Cheema, Ishaq Dar and Mussadik Malik.

Climate Change, Communications, Inter-Provincial Coordination, Parliamentary Affairs, Health and National Food Security, Religious Affairs, Water Resources, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs, National Security and Poverty Alleviation and Social Security Division are without ministers.