Pakistan: 19 cabinet ministers in Shahbaz government, know who are included?

Rashtrapati Bhavan was packed with newly elected MPs inducted into the Union Cabinet on Monday. While some of these are seasoned politicians who have experience of managing various ministries at the Centre, for others it will be the first time that they will be overseeing a key federal ministry. Let us tell you about the profile of some members of the Federal Cabinet.

Khawaja Asif

Khawaja Asif will reportedly head the Defense Ministry. He was elected as a member of the Senate in 1991 and a member of the National Assembly in 1993. He was elected as MNA in 1997, 2002, 2008, 2013, 2018 and 2024. This is the third time Asif will serve as the Defense Minister, he has previously served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Water and Power and Petroleum.

Ahsan Iqbal

Ahsan Iqbal was first elected as MNA in 1993. He was later elected as a member of the lower house of parliament in 1997, 2008, 2013, 2018 and 2024. He has also previously served as the Minister of Interior and Planning. Ahsan escaped an assassination attack in 2018 over alleged blasphemy.

Mohsin Naqvi

Former Chief Minister of Punjab Syed Mohsin Naqvi, who belongs to the Syed family of Jhang, was born in Lahore and completed his primary education at Crescent Model School. He later graduated from Government College Lahore. For higher education, Naqvi obtained a journalism degree from the United States and also worked with an American broadcasting organization. He currently serves as the Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Ishaq Dar

Senator Ishaq Dar, who is likely to be given the Foreign Ministry portfolio, has been a member of the Senate from 2003 to 2022. He served as Finance Minister, first from 1998 to 1999, then again from March to May 2008. Dar led the finance ministry from 2013 to 2017 and again from 2022 to 2023. He was the Minister of Industry and Investment from February 1997 to July 1997, as well as the Minister of Commerce from December 1997 to October 1999. Earlier, Dar was named as.

Musaddiq Malik

Musaddiq Malik served as a member of the Senate since March 12, 2018. He was the Federal Minister for Water and Power from April to June 2013. Malik was the Minister of State as well as the Minister of Petroleum and Energy from 2013 to 2018.

Ataullah Tarar

PML-N Deputy General Secretary Ataullah Tarar is the grandson of former President Mohammad Rafiq Tarar. He first became a federal minister during the previous tenure of Prime Minister Shehbaz and served as special assistant for interior and legal affairs in his cabinet.

Riaz Peerzada

Meanwhile, the portfolio of Riaz Pirzada who has previously served as Federal Minister for Human Rights (2022) and Minister for Inter-Provincial Communications (2017-2018) has not been finalized. The veteran politician was previously elected as a member of the National Assembly in 1993 and 2018 and as a member of the Punjab Assembly in 1985 and 1988.

Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan convenor Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, who has previously headed several ministries, became the federal cabinet member, but his portfolio has not been decided yet.

Muhammad Aurangzeb

Muhammad Aurangzeb, a veteran banker who has served as director of the Pakistan Business Council and held a senior position in a private bank, is likely to be given the finance ministry portfolio after giving up his Dutch nationality.

Aleem Khan

Istehkaam-e-Pakistan party chief Aleem Khan, who was elected to the lower house by winning Lahore’s NA-117 seat, is also part of Shehbaz’s cabinet and has previously headed the food ministry from 2019 to 2021.

Awais Ahmed Leghari

Avias Ahmed Leghari, son of former President Farooq Ahmed Leghari, was elected as a member of the Punjab Assembly from 1997 to 1999. He served as the Federal Minister for Information Technology from 2002 to 2004 and the Minister for Energy from 2017 to 2018.

Jam Kamal Khan

Former Chief Minister of Balochistan, Jam Kamal Khan served as the provincial Chief Executive from 2018 to 2021. He also headed the Petroleum Ministry from 2013 to 2018.