Search form

You are here

  • Home
  • Who are the members of PM Sharif’s new cabinet?


Who are the members of PM Sharif’s new cabinet?

Short Url

https://arab.news/4qpsn

Updated 12 March 2024
Follow

Who are the members of PM Sharif’s new cabinet?

  • Federal cabinet comprises Sharif family loyalists, veteran politicians and former ministers 
  • Shaza Fatima Khawaja only women in cabinet, HBL CEO set to become finance minister 
Updated 12 March 2024
Shahjahan Khurram

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif picked a 19-member federal cabinet on Monday comprising loyalists of the Sharif family, veteran politicians, former ministers and only one woman:

Senator Ishaq Dar

Dar, tipped to take over as foreign minister, is a four-time finance minister and last served in that position in Sharif’s previous government from September 2022 till August 2023. The senator is one of the closest aides of the Sharif family and his son is married to the daughter of Sharif’s elder brother, Nawaz Sharif. 

During Dar’s previous tenure as finance minister, Pakistan’s rupee weakened significantly against the US dollar and the country’s reserves shrunk to unprecedented lows before Islamabad secured a last-gasp bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and was saved from debt default. 

Khawaja Muhammad Asif

A veteran politician from Sialkot, Asif is one of the most senior members of Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party and last served as defense minister from April 2022 till August 2023. He is expected to get the defense portfolio again. 

In the past, Asif has also served as Pakistan’s minister of water and power, petroleum, sports as well foreign affairs and also chaired the privatization commission from 1997-99. 

Asif began his political career after getting elected to the Senate of Pakistan in 1991. He was a member of the National Assembly from 1993 to 1999 and again from 2002 to 2018 and till date.

Azam Nazeer Tarar

A leading Supreme Court lawyer and close Sharif aide, Azam last served as law minister from April 2022 to August 2023 and is expected to take over the portfolio again. He was elected to Pakistan’s Senate in 2021 and will serve as a member of the upper house of parliament till 2027. 

Muhammad Aurangzeb

The chief executive officer of Pakistan’s largest bank, HBL, Aurangzeb is the top choice for finance minister whose top priority will be negotiating a new bailout deal with the IMF and controlling inflation. 

Ahsan Iqbal 

Iqbal, a key Sharif family aide and longtime PML-N member, served as planning minister during Sharif’s previous stint as prime minister. He was also the federal minister for interior from August 2017 till May 2018 when Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was the prime minister. 

Dr. Musadik Masood Malik 

Malik served as petroleum minister during the last Sharif government and has previously also served as a special assistant to the prime minister on water and power. During his stint as petroleum minister last year, Pakistan procured crude oil from Russia for the first timee.

Ataullah Tarar 

Ataullah is the PML-N’s deputy secretary-general and previously served as the prime minister’s special assistant on interior during Sharifz’s stint as prime minister. He has also served as a former home minister of Pakistan’s most populous and political important Punjab province. He is expected to be given charge of Pakistan’s information ministry. 

Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi

The current chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), media mogul Naqvi was caretaker chief minister of Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province from January 2023 to February 2024. He is the owner of the City News Network media house and is believed to be close to President Asif Ali Zardari and army chief Gen Asim Munir. 

Naqvi is tipped to head Pakistan’s powerful and prominent interior ministry, which tackles security challenges and often becomes embroiled in cracking down on the political opponents of incumbent governments. 

Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui

Siddiqui leads the Karachi-based Muttahida Quami Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) political party and served as federal minister for information technology from 2018 to 2020 in former prime minister Imran Khan’s cabinet. 

Abdul Aleem Khan 

A real estate tycoon and owner of the prominent Pakistani TV channel Samaa, Aleem was once a close aide of ex-PM Khan but became a key rival and launched his own Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) comprising many of Khan’s closest past associates. 

Rana Tanveer Hussain 

A vice president of the PML-N party, Hussain has served as federal minister for education, defense production and science and technology.

Chaudhry Salik Hussain 

The son of veteran politician and former Pakistani prime minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Salik is a former federal minister who headed the Board of Investments and Special Initiatives during the last Sharif cabinet. 

Shaza Fatima Khawaja 

The only woman member of the new cabinet, Shaza is a niece of former defense minister Khawaja Asif and previously served as special assistant to the prime minister on youth affairs. She has also taught International Relations and Political Science at the prestigeous Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). 

Jam Kamal Khan 

Khan served as the 16th chief minister of Balochistan from 2018 to 2021. A former leader of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Jam joined the PML-N in November 2023. 

Amir Muqam 

A senior leader of the PML-N from Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, Muqam served as adviser to the prime minister on political and public affairs in the last Sharif cabinet. 

Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari 

Leghari is a former lawmaker who served as a member of Pakistan’s National Assembly from 2002-07, 2011-13 and 2013-18. His father, Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari, was Pakistan’s president from 1993-97. 

Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh 

A businessman-turned-politician, Sheikh is a veteran leader of the PML-N party. 

Ahad Khan Cheema 

A former civil servant and senior bureaucrat, Cheema served as a member of the last Sharif cabinet as an adviser on establishment. In 2018, he was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau in an inquiry related to the Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme. 

Riaz Hussain Pirzada

Another PML-N leader, Pirzada has previously served as human rights minister and minister for inter-provincial coordination.

Topics: cabinet members federal cabinet

Pakistan journalist arrested over disinformation released

Updated 4 sec ago
AFP
Follow

Pakistan journalist arrested over disinformation released

  • Farhan Mallick was charged after changes to a disinformation law in January saw punishments of up to three years in prison introduced
  • He was arrested over two weeks ago for ‘generating, disseminating anti-state publications and videos, with aim of inciting public violence’
Updated 4 sec ago
AFP

KARACHI: The founder of a Pakistani online news channel who was arrested for allegedly spreading disinformation was released on bail on Monday, his lawyer said.
Farhan Mallick, who runs Raftar, was charged after changes to a disinformation law in January saw punishments of up to three years in prison introduced.
Critics say the law is being used to quash dissenting views and control online media.
Mallick’s lawyer Abdul Moiz Jaferii told AFP he was released after offering 100,000 rupees ($354) for each of the two cases he was charged with.
He was arrested more than two weeks ago for “generating and disseminating anti-state publications and videos, with the aim of spreading disinformation and inciting public violence.”
He was accused in a second case of credit card fraud.
Another journalist, Muhammed Waheed Murad, was also accused days later of “online disinformation,” before being granted bail.
Both journalists had reported on the alleged role of the powerful military that has ruled the country for several decades, an institution that many mainstream media are careful to avoid criticizing.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) have sounded the alarm about two brothers of exiled journalist Ahmad Noorani, who police say were “kidnapped” in Islamabad last month.
Journalists have long complained of increasing state pressure on traditional media in Pakistan, ranked 152nd out of 180 countries on RSF’s press freedom index.
Social media platform X is officially banned, but accessible using VPNs, while YouTube and TikTok have faced bans in the past.

Topics: Pakistan press freedom Farhan Mallick

PM directs speedy container clearance, attractive tariffs at Pakistan ports as part of maritime reforms

Updated 24 min 23 sec ago
Follow

PM directs speedy container clearance, attractive tariffs at Pakistan ports as part of maritime reforms

  • Pakistan has formed a maritime taskforce to streamline its blue economy by optimizing operations at various ports
  • Shehbaz Sharif asks officials to accelerate pace of installation of scanners to reduce time for container clearance
Updated 24 min 23 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has instructed officials to speed up the process of container clearance and ensure attractive trade tariffs at Pakistani ports, his office said on Monday, as the South Asian country undertakes maritime reforms to boost its economy.
Pakistan, which averted a default in 2023, is currently navigating an economic recovery path under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program and has undertaken several reforms in various sectors.
A taskforce is working on sustainable reforms in the maritime sector to end the long-standing stagnation in Pakistan’s maritime economy, according to the prime minister.
“Pakistan has been bestowed with a long coastline, sea and other unlimited resources,” Sharif was quoted as saying at a meeting of the maritime taskforce he presided over in Islamabad.
“A plan should be made to minimize the duration of the presence of containers at the ports,” he said, asking authorities to auction containers available at the ports as soon as possible to better utilize the port space.
During the meeting, officials informed the prime minister that a National Dredging Plan (NDP) has been formulated keeping in mind the country’s needs for the next ten years. It will help set up a National Dredging Company for dredging of all the ports, according to Sharif’s office.
A plan of action has also been prepared for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) through public-private partnership for the next 25 years. Similarly, a plant is being established in Gadani, Balochistan to dispose of chemical waste and other hazardous materials, while the Pakistan Maritime Port Act is in the final stages, which will implement uniform rules and regulations at all ports.
On the occasion, Sharif said the development of economy is linked to marine resources and access to them.
“The pace of installing the latest scanners at all ports should be accelerated,” he said. “Trade tariffs should be reviewed to bring the country’s ports to a competitive standard.”

Topics: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Pakistani ports Karachi port

Pakistan regulator moves to reinvigorate ‘waqf’ charitable endowments for Islamic social finance

Updated 56 min 42 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan regulator moves to reinvigorate ‘waqf’ charitable endowments for Islamic social finance

  • In Islamic tradition, waqf charitable endowments, or religious donations, are made by Muslims to benefit the community
  • Historically, the instrument has funded education, health care and social welfare, supporting institutions like Al-Azhar
Updated 56 min 42 sec ago
Ismail Dilawar

ISLAMABAD: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), a corporate legislative and financial regulatory agency, has issued a ‘concept paper’ to revive and modernize ‘waqf’ charitable endowments for Islamic social finance, it said on Monday.
In Islamic tradition, waqf charitable endowments, or religious donations, are made by Muslims for the benefit of the community. Historically, the instrument has funded education, health care and social welfare, supporting institutions like Al-Azhar and the Ottoman public works system.
Waqf remains an important player in the socio-economic fabric of the Muslim world and countries like Malaysia, Turkiye, and Indonesia have successfully adapted it to modern financial systems through regulatory frameworks, innovative governance models, and Shariah-compliant financial instruments.
But in Pakistan, the financial instrument remains underutilized due to outdated management practices and the lack of a robust regulatory framework, according to the SECP, which aims to develop modern and efficient corporate sector, insurance and capital markets in Pakistan.
“The concept paper proposes strategies to harness waqf for Islamic social finance, including reinvigorating the waqf institution, enabling the establishment of waqf in corporate structures as waqf companies, and developing Islamic instruments and financial services products for such companies,” the regulator said.
The proposals aim to improve efficiency, complete the Islamic finance ecosystem, and create social impact in Pakistan, according to the SECP. The suggested pathway to transform waqf into a dynamic, sustainable and impactful institution for socio-economic development will be deliberated and discussed with key industry stakeholders before initiating the required regulatory interventions.
It noted that the concept paper included various options, such as amending provincial waqf laws and other regulations, to provide for waqf companies in order to address concerns pertaining to its jurisdiction and legal considerations.
“It is expected that the revival and modernization of waqf will enable sustainable Islamic social finance institutions, thereby helping achieve the objective of shared prosperity by making resources available for social and welfare projects,” the SECP added.

Topics: Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) Islamic Waqf

Women strangle blackmailing Pakistan faith healer — police

Updated 07 April 2025
AFP
Follow

Women strangle blackmailing Pakistan faith healer — police

  • The women say they turned to Riaz Hussain for help in removing black magic curses but he instead took their compromising videos
  • Faith healers are revered by some communities in Pakistan and their orders are followed devotedly, allowing for widespread exploitation
Updated 07 April 2025
AFP

LAHORE: Two women have been arrested for murder after strangling a Pakistani faith healer with a scarf after years of being blackmailed over videos he took of them, police said on Monday.
The women told police they had turned to Riaz Hussain for help in removing black magic curses but he instead took compromising videos that he threatened to release.
“During the investigation it was found that Riaz Hussain had been sexually harassing women for a long time under the pretext of spiritual healing,” police in the city of Multan in Punjab province said in a statement.
The women, with the help of their cousin and another man, strangled the faith healer with a scarf before dumping his body.
The four have been arrested for murder, police said, adding that a fifth man has also been arrested.
Faith healers are revered by some communities in Pakistan and their orders are followed devotedly, allowing for widespread exploitation.
A pregnant woman was brought to a hospital with a nail hammered into her head in 2022 after a faith healer said it would guarantee she gave birth to a boy.
Another woman died the following year after being tortured with sticks for days by a faith healer who claimed to be following an exorcism ritual.

Topics: murder case Punjab Police

Pakistan says Saudi Arabia, China, US among countries participating in Minerals Investment Forum

Updated 15 min 35 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan says Saudi Arabia, China, US among countries participating in Minerals Investment Forum

  • Pakistan is hosting summit from Apr. 8-9 in Islamabad to attract international investment in its mining sector
  • Ali Pervaiz Malik says around 2,000 people expected to attend conference, out of which 300 will be foreigners
Updated 15 min 35 sec ago
Fatimah Amjad

ISLAMABAD: Business representatives and officials from Saudi Arabia, China, US and the UK, among other countries, will participate in the two-day Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum scheduled to take place this week, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said on Monday. 

The summit will be held in Pakistan’s capital from April 8-9 and is part of the government’s recent efforts to attract local and international investment in the mining and minerals sector. Pakistan has vast reserves of minerals and natural resources, which the government hopes can become a key source of economic development in the future. 

The country is home to one of the world’s largest porphyry copper-gold mineral zones. The Reko Diq mine in southwestern Balochistan has an estimated 5.9 billion tons of ore. Barrick Gold, which owns a 50 percent stake in the Reko Diq mines, considers them one of the world’s largest underdeveloped copper-gold areas, and their development is expected to have a significant impact on Pakistan’s struggling economy. 

Pakistan’s state media said in February that the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), the country’s leading exploration and production (E&P) company, in collaboration with the government and strategic partners, would organize the summit. 

“We are expecting participation at the senior level [for the summit] from Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, China and America,” Malik told reporters at a press conference, adding that participants from Denmark, Finland, Kenya and the UK are also expected to attend. 

Malik said the government estimates around 2,000 people to participate at the event, out of which 300 are expected to be foreigners. He said Pakistan will sign key agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with other countries at the summit. 

“It is the prime minister’s wish that we do not restrict this event to just words, so we will confirm some MoUs in front of you,” Malik said. “Along with this, not just MoUs but a few agreements will also be executed after which we will take these entire matters toward implementation.”

The minister said that the government will formally unveil Pakistan’s newly developed, investor-friendly National Minerals Harmonization Framework 2025, which aims to attract investment in the country’s mineral sector.

Pakistan has designated mining and minerals as a priority sector for national economic development, aiming to reduce its reliance on imports and enhance exports. The country is undertaking efforts to utilize its natural resources through foreign investment and collaboration to stabilize its $350 billion economy, which has suffered a prolonged economic crisis over the past few years. 
 

Topics: Ali Pervaiz Malik Mineral mining Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum

Related

Pakistan
Pakistan to host summit in April to seek investments in $6 trillion minerals sector 
Pakistan
Danish firm to train Pakistani engineers as Islamabad seeks to exploit mineral resources

Latest updates

Pakistan journalist arrested over disinformation released
PM directs speedy container clearance, attractive tariffs at Pakistan ports as part of maritime reforms
Pakistan regulator moves to reinvigorate ‘waqf’ charitable endowments for Islamic social finance
Women strangle blackmailing Pakistan faith healer — police
Palestinians in West Bank strike to demand end to Gaza war

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2025 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.