The federal cabinet of Pakistan, consisting of 19 members appointed by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, has taken the oath of office. The cabinet includes 13 MNAs, 2 senators, and 3 technocrats. Among the federal ministers are Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Tanveer Hussain, Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Abdul Aleem Khan, Shehza Fatima Khawaja, Azam Nazir Tarar, Jam Kamal, Amir Maqam, Sardar Ovais Leghari, Ataullah Tarar, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Junaid Anwar, Ishaq Dar, and Masood Ahmed Malik.
Similarly, the three technocrats who have taken the oath of ministry are Ahmad Chaudhry, Mohammad Aurangzeb, and Mohsin Naqvi. However, they are required to be elected to the Senate or the National Assembly within six months. If we look at the composition of the cabinet, it includes members from MQM, BAP, TLP, and PML-Q. However, PPP, which desires to hold other constitutional positions including the presidency, is not yet represented in the cabinet.
So, is the inclusion of various political parties in the federal cabinet signaling the return of the PPP era or is the inclusion of technocrats indicating a move towards a national government? Experts have different opinions on this question. Senior journalist and analyst Waqat Masood says, “The shape of the cabinet before us has reminded us of what happened with respected Benazir Bhutto in 1988. She was told that she would not be allowed to put her people in both the treasury and foreign ministries. In this cabinet, neither the treasury nor the interior is with Shahbaz Sharif. I wouldn’t call it a PTI or a national government; this is a hybrid plus system, and there is no center of power.”
Introduction of Ministers in Shahbaz Cabinet:
Khawaja Asif:
Hailing from Sialkot, Khawaja Asif is once again part of the cabinet. He previously served as the Minister of Defense in Nawaz Sharif’s cabinet. He was also in Yousaf Raza Gilani’s cabinet in 2008. Later, he remained a minister in Nawaz Sharif, Shahid Khaqan, and then Shahbaz Sharif’s cabinet.
Ahsan Iqbal:
Secretary General of the PML-N, Ahsan Iqbal, is also among the ministers who were part of the N-League’s government. When Nawaz Sharif’s government ended in 2017, he was the Interior Minister in Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s cabinet. However, generally, he handles the Ministry of Planning and Development.
Rana Tanveer:
Rana Tanveer has been a permanent member of the League’s cabinet in every era and is famous for his defense production ministry, whether it was Nawaz Sharif’s, Shahbaz’s, or then Shahid Khaqan’s cabinet.
Azam Nazir Tarar:
The most useful person for the legal troubles of the Muslim League (N), Azam Nazir Tarar, has a long political journey of several years, but he has quickly found a place in the party. He belongs to Hafizabad and was given the portfolio of the Law Ministry in the PML-N government.
Chaudhry Salik Hussain:
Belonging to the PML-Q, Chaudhry Salik Hussain is also becoming a minister for the second time. They were also ministers in the PML-N government. They are the sons of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. The important thing is that their second son, Chaudhry Shafi, is part of Maryam Nawaz’s cabinet in Punjab.
Abdul Aleem Khan:
In the last ten years, Abdul Aleem Khan, who has been at the forefront of the PML-N’s political struggle, has become part of the Shahbaz Cabinet once again. He was a minister for urban development in the PTI government. After joining the PTI, he was made a senior minister, but now he has become a federal minister.
These are just a few members of the cabinet, each with their political background and significance. As the political landscape in Pakistan evolves, the dynamics within the federal cabinet will also continue to change.
Key Figures in Pakistan’s Federal Cabinet: A Brief Overview
Jam Kamal Khan, a former Interior Minister of Balochistan, has been a part of the federal cabinet. During Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s tenure, he held the portfolio of the Petroleum Ministry. Initially associated with the Balochistan Awami Party, he later joined the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Amir Muqam, the president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has also been included in the federal cabinet. A close ally of Nawaz Sharif, he has been part of the federal cabinet even during the Musharraf era, initially representing the PML-Q platform but later joining the PML-N.
Sardar Awais Khan Leghari, hailing from Southern Punjab, is another member of the federal cabinet. He has served as a federal minister several times, notably as the Minister of Information Technology during the Musharraf era. After joining the PML-N, he succeeded in winning a provincial seat in the Punjab Assembly in the last elections and remained part of Hamza Shahbaz’s cabinet for a while.
Ataullah Tarar, who rose to prominence in the last decade as a key figure in the political battles of PML-N, has once again secured a place in Shahbaz’s cabinet. In the previous PML-N government, he served as an adviser for Interior but this time around, he has been elected to the assembly.
Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan’s convener has also become a federal minister. Before this, he served as a federal minister for Information Technology in Imran Khan’s cabinet.
Shiza Fatima Khawaja is the only female member of the cabinet. This is her second stint in the cabinet; previously, she served as a special adviser to the Prime Minister in the PTI government. She is the niece of Khawaja Asif and secured a seat in the assembly on a reserved seat.
