In surprise move, Khattak made PM’s adviser on interior affairs

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday assigned portfolios to 26 newly inducted ministers, state ministers and advisers in his federal cabinet.

Besides allotting portfolios to four new special assistants, the premier also reassigned the ministries to some of the cabinet members. Setting aside tall claims of austerity drive and cut in government’s expenditure, the premier last week inducted new members into his team, including 12 federal ministers, 9 state ministers, three advisers and four special assistants, while two state ministers were elevated to the post of federal minister.

According to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division, federal minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has been given the portfolio of Parliamentary Affairs, while Ali Pervaiz Malik and Shaza Fatima Khawaja were made federal ministers of Petroleum and Information Technology, Federal Minister Hanif Abbasi got Railways, Moeen Watto was given Water Resources.

Mustafa Kamal was given National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination, Sardar Yousuf tasked with Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Aurangzeb Katchi got National Heritage & Culture, Rana Mubashir given Public Affairs Unit, Raza Hayat Hiraj got Defence Production, Junaid Anwar tasked with Maritime Affairs, Khalid Magsi was assigned Science & Technology. Pervez Khattak has been made PM’s aide on interior.

Similarly, state ministers Barrister Aqeel Malik, Bilal Azhar Kayani and Talal Chaudhry have been given portfolios of Law & Justice, Railways, Interior & Narcotics Control, respectively. New state ministers, including Malik Rasheed Ahmad Khan was given National Food Security & Research, Abdul Rehman Khan Kanju given Power with additional portfolio of Public Affairs Unit, Aqeel Malik got Law & Justice, Bilal Azhar Kayani got Railways, Kesoo Mal Kheal Das given Religious Affairs & Interfaith Harmony, Mohammad Awn Saqlain tasked with Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development, Mukhtar Ahmad Malik got National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination, Talal Chaudhry given Interior & Narcotics Control and Wajiha Qamar was assigned Federal Education & Professional Training.

In addition to this, two more advisers — Syed Tauqir Hussain Shah and Muhammad Ali — were also inducted into the cabinet, increasing the number of advisers to the prime minister to seven. Special Assistants to the Prime Minister (SAPMs) include Haroon Akhtar, who has been given the portfolio of Industries and Production, Huzaifa Rehman, National Heritage and Culture, Mubarak Zeb, Tribal Affairs, and Talha Burki, Political Affairs.