Imran names 20member cabinet
Shah Mahmood Qureshi to be foreign minister, PTI chief’s close aide Mazari gets human rights ministry
ISLAMABAD:IMRAN Khan surprised many by announcing his 20-member cabinet within hours of being sworn in as prime minister, with veteran politician Shah Mahmood Qureshi making a return to the foreign affairs portfolio.
Despite being tipped for the defence and foreign affairs portfolios, Khan’s close aide Shireen Mazari was given the relatively unimportant human rights ministry. A hardliner known for her anti-india views, Mazari had once advocated nuclear strikes on Indian population centres.
“This is a non-portfolio in Pakistan’s political arena,” said analyst Mubashir Zaidi, who added the choice of former Khyberpakhtunkhwa chief minister Pervez Khattak for the defence portfolio suggested that Khan wants to continue having stable relations with the military. Khattak will continue to act as a close aide to Khan without upsetting the balance but, like Mazari, he will be disappointed given that he was hoping for the interior ministry.
Qureshi, 62, the vice chairman of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) party, had earlier served as foreign minister in the Pakistan People’s Party government during 2008-2011. He was in India at the time of the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
As expected, businessman Asad Umar was given the finance portfolio, though there were some surprise inclusions in the cabinet. PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry was given the information and broadcasting portfolio.
PTI ally Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, who had asked for the interior ministry, was assigned the railway ministry.
The surprises were Shafqat Mahmood, who was given the education portfolio. Mahmood was tipped for a more powerful ministry and has been sidelined.