After a week of uncertainty, Pakistan’s new cabinet finally takes shape

After a weeklong delay, the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif announced on Friday the allocation of portfolios to newly inducted cabinet members while also reshuffling existing ministers. The Cabinet Division has issued a formal notification detailing the changes.

A total of 12 federal ministers and nine ministers of state have been given portfolios, while the portfolios of nine former ministers have been reassigned. More cabinet members are expected to be added in the coming days.

New federal ministers

According to the notification, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has been appointed as the Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs. Ali Pervez Malik has been named the Federal Minister for Petroleum, while Aurangzeb Khichi will oversee the Ministry of National Cultural Heritage.

Khalid Hussain Magsi has been appointed as the Federal Minister for Science and Technology, and Muhammad Hanif Abbasi has been given charge of the Railways Ministry.

Muhammad Moin Wattoo has been appointed as the Federal Minister for Water Resources, and Muhammad Junaid Anwar has been assigned Maritime Affairs Ministry.

Additionally, Muhammad Raza Hayat Hiraj has been appointed as the Federal Minister for Defense Production, while Sardar Muhammad Yousuf will lead the Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Ministry.

Shaza Fatima Khawaja has been named the Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication. Rana Mubashir Iqbal has been given charge of the Public Affairs Unit, while Syed Mustafa Kamal will oversee National Health Services, Regulation, and Coordination.

Ministers of state assigned portfolios

Among the ministers of state, Malik Rashid Ahmed Khan has been assigned National Food Security and Research, while Abdul Rehman Kanjo will serve as the Minister of Power. Kanjo has also been given an additional charge of the Public Affairs Unit.

Aqeel Malik has been appointed as the Minister of State for Law and Justice, while Bilal Azhar Kayani has been named the Minister of State for Railways. Kesu Mal Khel Das will serve as the Minister of State for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.

Aun Chaudhry has been assigned the Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Portfolio, while Mukhtar Ahmed Bharat will oversee National Health Services and Coordination. Talal Chaudhry has been appointed as the Minister of State for Interior and Anti-narcotics, and Wajiha Qamar has been given charge of the Federal Education and Professional Training Ministry.

Portfolios of nine ministers reshuffled

The portfolios of nine federal ministers have been changed. The defense production portfolio has been withdrawn from Khawaja Muhammad Asif, who will now only hold the Defense Affairs Ministry.

Senator Azam Nazir Tarar will serve as the Minister for Law and Justice and will also take on the additional charge of human rights. The parliamentary affairs portfolio has been removed from him.

Attaullah Tarar will now solely serve as the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, with the national heritage and culture portfolio withdrawn.

Musadik Malik’s petroleum and water resources portfolios have been reassigned, and he will now lead the Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Ministry.

Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui will retain the Federal Education and Professional Training Ministry, while the science and technology portfolio has been withdrawn from him. Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, previously in charge of maritime affairs, has been reassigned as the Federal Minister for the Investment Board.

Abdul Aleem Khan’s additional charge of Privatization and the Investment Board has been withdrawn, leaving him solely responsible for the communications ministry.

Chaudhry Salik Hussain has been reassigned from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony to the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development. Meanwhile, Rana Tanveer Hussain has had his industries and production portfolio withdrawn and will now oversee national food security and research.

Advisors and special assistants assigned roles

With the prime minister’s approval, three advisors have been given portfolios. Dr Tauqeer Shah has been appointed as an advisor to the Prime Minister’s Office, while Muhammad Ali has been assigned privatization. Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has been appointed as the advisor for interior affairs.

Among special assistants, Haroon Akhtar has been assigned industries and production, Huzaifa Rehman will handle national heritage and culture, Mubarak Zeb will oversee tribal affairs, and Talha Barki has been assigned political affairs.

Mohsin Naqvi is already the Federal Minister for Interior and Anti-narcotics for the Ministry of Interior, while Talal Chaudhry has been appointed as the Minister of State for Interior and Pervez Khattak as the Advisor for Interior Affairs among the new members. This is the only ministry to which a federal minister, minister of state, and advisor have been appointed, which will help Mohsin Naqvi speed up further.

Public Affairs Unit

The Public Affairs Unit is not a new creation but rather a wing under the Prime Minister’s Office that has now been established as a division accordingly.

A full federal minister and a minister of state have been appointed to this wing, which has long been inactive and primarily functions to take note of public complaints.

The General Public Complaint Cell falls under the Parliamentary Affairs Division and is formally known as the Prime Minister’s Public Affairs and Grievances Wing, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

This wing was shifted to the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs in 2013. It addresses complaints regarding financial assistance, maladministration, infrastructure issues, municipal services, and public property matters across Pakistan.

Complaints submitted to the Prime Minister’s Grievances Wing are scrutinized and categorized based on an established criterion. Actionable complaints are forwarded to the relevant ministries, divisions, or federal and provincial departments via the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal (PCP).

The wing consists of six sections handling complaints across all provinces, capital territories, and overseas Pakistanis. Cases are typically resolved within 41 days, and complainants are kept informed of progress. If a complainant remains dissatisfied, the case can be reopened for reconsideration upon written request.