 "Pakistan caretaker cabinet")
An 18-member caretaker cabinet of Pakistan took the oath on Thursday, days after Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar was sworn in as interim prime minister to oversee the forthcoming general elections. At a time when the country is grappling with an economic crisis and intensified political disturbances, the caretaker administration will have its hands full as it attempts to oversee the general elections in Pakistan. According to Pakistan’s constitution, members of the caretaker cabinet and their immediate families will not be eligible to contest the upcoming polls.
Pakistan's President Arif Alvi administered the oath to the caretaker cabinet at Aiwan-e-Sadr, the presidential house.
Caretaker Cabinet Details:
Federal Ministers:
The newly inducted Cabinet of Pakistan includes the following federal ministers:
- Senator Sarfaraz Bugti
- Jalil Abbas Jilani
- Shamshad Akhtar
- Lieutenant General (retired) Anwar Ali Hyder
- Murtaza Solangi
- Sami Saeed
- Shahid Ashraf Tarar
- Ahmad Irfan Aslam
- Muhammad Ali
- Gohar Ejaz
- Umar Saif
- Nadeem Jan
- Khalil George
- Aneeq Ahmad
- Jamal Shah
- Madad Ali Sindhi
Advisers to the Interim Prime Minister:
- Air Marshal (retired) Farhat Hussain Khan
- Ahad Khan Cheema
- Waqar Masood Khan
Allocation of Ministries:
- Jalil Abbas Jilani: Foreign Minister
- Sarfaraz Bugti: Interior Minister
- Shamshad Akhtar: Finance Minister
- Lieutenant General (retired) Anwar Ali Haider: Defence Minister
- Murtaza Solangi: Information Minister
- Khalil George: Minister for Minorities
- Gohar Ijaz: Minister for Industries
- Dr Umar Saif: Minister for Information Technology
- Ahmad Irfan Aslam: Law Minister
- Jamal Shah: Minister for Culture
- Aneeq Ahmad: Religious Affairs Minister
- Jamal Shah: Minister for Culture
Profiles of Key Caretaker Ministers:
Dr Shamshad Akhtar: Caretaker Finance Minister
Dr Shamshad Akhtar: Caretaker Finance Minister
A senior economist and former governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, Dr Akhtar has been made in charge of the finance ministry. Holding a PhD in Economics from the University of Paisley, UK, she served as the first woman governor of the State Bank of Pakistan from 2006 to 2009. She is the only woman in the Cabinet and has also served at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank.
Jalil Abbas Jilani: Caretaker Foreign Minister
A former foreign secretary of Pakistan, Jilani has served at key diplomatic positions, including as Pakistan's ambassador to the United States and the European Union. He has a graduate degree in law from Oxford University and an M.Sc degree in defence and strategic studies.
Murtaza Solangi: Caretaker Information Minister
Previously the chief of government-owned Radio Pakistan, Solangi aims to modernise state media institutions, aligning them with the latest technological trends.
Muhammad Ali: Caretaker Minister for Energy, Power and Petroleum
With over 30 years of experience, Muhammad Ali has chaired the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan and founded several leading companies in Pakistan.
Jamal Shah: Caretaker Minister for Culture
A renowned artist, film producer, and sculptor, Jamal Shah was the first chairman of the Artist Association of Pakistan and has been honoured with the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French minister of culture.
According to an official statement, 16 federal ministers took the oath, and the interim prime minister has also appointed three advisers. The caretaker government has the challenging task of steering the nation through turbulent times as Pakistan prepares for its general elections.
