Pakistan PM Imran Khan announces 21 member cabinet

Pakistan’s new Prime Minister Imran Khan announced a 21-member Cabinet on Saturday. Out of the 21 names announced, 16 will be ministers while five others will perform their duties as advisers to the premier, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) spokesman Fawad Chaudhry said.

The 21-member Cabinet includes foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

Qureshi, the vice president of the party, was the foreign minister from 2008 to 2011 under the Pakistan Peoples Party government.

Pervaiz Khattak has been appointed as defence minister and Asad Umar as finance minister.

Sheikh Rashid has been appointed as Railway minister.

Three women are also part of the Cabinet, includes Shireen Mazari, Zubaida Jalal and Fehmida Mriza.

The five advisors who have minister’s status includes, businessman Abdul Razzak Dawood, former banker Ishrat Hussain and Babar Awan.

On 20 August, the newly-announced Cabinet is expected to take oath at the President’s House.

PTI has nominated Dr Arif Alvi as its applicant for President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

On September 4, the presidential election will be held, five days prior the expiry of the five-year term of President Mamnoon Hussain.

As per the Pakistan’s Constitution, the size of the federal cabinet should be not more than 11 per cent of the total strength of the National Assembly and Senate. 

Imran Khan took oath as 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan on Saturday after his party won the highest number of seats in the general election.

The ceremony was attended by Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, legendary paceman Wasim Akram, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Zubair Mahmood Hayat, actor Javed Sheikh, former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu, Punjab Assembly speaker Pervez Elahi, Rameez Raja, singers Salman Ahmed and Abrarul Haq, caretaker minister Nasir-ul-Mulk, Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Air Staff Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan and PTI leaders.

Khan’s party bagged 176 seats while the opponent Sharif, the PML-N president received 96 votes.