Six new ministers inducted into federal cabinet

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Tuesday was expanded with the inclusion of six more members. With the induction of the new ministers, the federal cabinet now has 28 members.

Three federal ministers and three ministers of state took the oath of their office at a ceremony at the Aiwan-e-Sadr President Dr Arif Alvi administered oath to the new cabinet members. Three federal ministers are Omer Ayub, Ali Muhammad Khan Mehar and Syed Ali Haider Zaidi.

Those who took oath as Ministers of State are Muhammad Shabir Ali, Murad Saeed and Muhammad Hammad Azhar. Portfolios of the ministers would be announced later. Meanwhile, upset over being inducted as minister of state, instead of federal minister, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Muhammad Mian Soomro refused to take the oath and returned to Karachi, Geo News reported.

The federal government had initially decided to induct Soomro as the Minister for Privatisation, but Soomro was informed a few hours before the oath-taking ceremony, that he was being inducted as the state minister. In reaction, the sources close to Soomro said: “He has served on top posts such as the former caretaker prime minister and the former Senate chairman and feels it is not appropriate that he be appointed state minister.”