PM Shehbaz Sharif's new cabinet finally takes oath

By Muhammad JuniadPublished On 05 Jan 2023

ISLAMABAD: After much anticipation and delays, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's cabinet has been sworn in in the first phase at an oath-taking ceremony at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Tuesday.

Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjarani administered the oath to the members of the federal cabinet, instead of President Arif Alvi as he excused himself from performing his constitutional duty.

The cabinet has 31 federal ministers, three ministers of state and three advisers.

The cabinet division issued a list of federal ministers, ministers of state and advisers included in the first phase of the induction on Monday night.

Earlier, there was uncertainty among the parties of the ruling alliance on becoming a part of the federal cabinet as PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari had said that his party would not take ministries.

However, later, in a brief press talk at Parliament House on Saturday, Asif Zardari said that they want their friends to be accommodated first, The News reported.

Speaking on Geo News programme 'Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath', a PML-N leader said that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari would become the next foreign minister.

However, Bilawal is not among the members of the newly formed cabinet.