President Dr Arif Alvi administered oath to five federal ministers and a minister of state on Friday. The oath-taking ceremony was held at Aiwan-e-Sadr. Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, Muhammad Faisal Vawda, Muhammad Azam Khan Swati, Muhammad Mian Soomro and Sahibzada Muhammad Mehboob Sultan took oath of their office as federal ministers. Zartaj Gul took oath as the minister of state.

The oath-taking ceremony was attended by ministers, parliamentarians and senior officials. This is the fifth time that the cabinet has been expanded in the last two months.

According to notification, Faisal Vawda has been given the portfolio of Ministry of Water Resources, Azam Swati, Ministry of Science and Technology, Mohammad Mian Soomro, Minister of Privatization, Ali Amin Gandapur to look after the Ministry of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, Zartaj Gul became the minister of state for climate change, while Sahibzada Mehboob Sultan was handed over the affairs of the Ministry of Food Protection.

Currently, the federal cabinet consists of 32 members and with the inclusion of six new ministers, the strength of federal cabinet has reached 38, including 24 federal ministers, six state minister, four advisers to the Prime Minister and four special assistants.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2018