Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) on Monday formally joined the Pakistan People's Party-led coalition government, as President Asif Ali Zardari administered oath to 14 PML-Q nominees as federal ministers and ministers of state. Seven PML-Q parliamentarians including Chaudhry Pervez Elahi sworn in as federal minister and as many as ministers of state in a ceremony at President's House on Monday, after the PML-Q sealed a power-sharing deal with the ruling PPP a day earlier.

Those who took oath as federal minister are; Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, Eng. Amir Muqam, Anwar Ali Cheema, Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain, Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayaat, Ghous Bukhsh Mehar and Riaz Hussain Pirzada. While Khwaja Shiraz Mehmood, Sardar Bahadur Ahmed Khan Sihar, Akram Masih Gill, Sardar Shahjahan Yousuf, Raza Hayat Harraj, Sheikh Waqas Akram and Rana Asif Tauseef took oath as state ministers.

Monitoring Desk adds: According to Aaj News, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi has been made Senior Minister and Minister for Industries and Defence Production, Eng. Amir Muqam Minister for Production, Anwar Ali Cheema Minister for Health, Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain Minister for Overseas Pakistanis, Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayaat Minister for Housing and Works, Ghous Bukhsh Mehar Minister for Privatisation and Riaz Hussain Pirzada as Minister for Minorities' Affairs.

While Sardar Bahadur Ahmed Khan Sihar has been given the portfolio of State Minister for Defence Production, Akram Masih Gill State Minister for Health, Sardar Shahjahan Yousuf State Minister for Production, Raza Hayat Harraj State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Sheikh Waqas Akram State Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Rana Asif Tauseef has been given the portfolio of State Minister for Privatisation and Industries. Raja Basharat and Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar have been appointed Advisor to the Prime Minister with the status of Federal Minister, while Syed Qasim Shah and Ahmed Yar Hiraj have been appointed special assistants.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2011