Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar declines offer to become minister of state

Islamabad: Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) leader Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar on Tuesday excused himself from becoming minister of state saying he wanted to keep his focus on his responsibilities regarding the upcoming elections.

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif s 34-member cabinet took oath later in the day. Chairman Senate and Acting President Sadiq Sanjarani administered oath from the new cabinet due to illness of President Dr Arif Alvi.

The PML-N has 13 federal ministers, two ministers of state and one cabinet adviser, while the PPP has nine federal ministers, two ministers of state and one cabinet adviser.

Four federal ministers of JUI-F, two federal ministers of MQM, one each of Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Jamhoori Watan Party and one federal minister of PML-Q have been given portfolios in the cabinet.

Rana Sanaullah has been given the portfolio of Interior Ministry, Marriyum Aurangzeb has been given the portfolio of Information, Muftah Ismail has been given the portfolio of Finance, Ahsan Iqbal has been given the portfolio of Planning and Azam Nazir Tarar has been given the portfolio of Law Ministry.

Shahzain Bugti has been appointed Federal Minister for Anti-Narcotics, Aminul Haq has been appointed Information Technology, Talha Mehmood SAFRON, Mufti Abul Shakoor has been appointed Religious Affairs, Maulana Abdul Wasi has been appointed Housing and Mufti Asad Mahmood has been appointed Federal Minister for Communications.