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

Newly elected Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari inspects the honor guard at the Presidential Palace in Islamabad, Pakistan on March 11, 2024. (Press Information Department (PID)/REUTERS)
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Updated 12 March 2024
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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 Tehreek-e-Insaf says won’t call off protest until Imran Khan released from prison

Updated 51 sec ago
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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf says won’t call off protest until Imran Khan released from prison

  • Khan’s party is leading a “long march” to Islamabad to call for release of Khan and other political prisoners 
  • Protest has coincided with visit by Belarus president, with government accusing PTI of trying to sabotage economic recovery
Updated 51 sec ago
WASIM SAJJAD & SAIMA SHABBIR

PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: A march by thousands of supporters to demand the release of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan reached the edges of the Pakistani federal capital of Islamabad on Monday, with his wife Bushara Khan saying the demonstration would not be called off until the ex-premier was released from prison.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is leading a “long march” to the Pakistani capital from cities around the country to call for the release of political prisoners, including Khan, among other demands. The protesters plan to camp at D-Chowk, a high-security area in the capital’s Red Zone that houses key government buildings and is a popular site for protests, but the government has sealed all entry and exit points to the city with shipping containers and heavy contingents of police and other security forces have been stationed across Islamabad. 

Khan has been in jail since August last year and faces a slew of charges he says are politically motivated. 

“Until Khan does not return to us, we will not end this march,” Bushra said to supporters as the PTI edged closer to Islamabad. “I will stand there till my last breath, you people have to stand by me. I will keep standing even if nobody does because this does not concern just my husband but the country and its leader.”

The largest PTI protest caravan began its journey from Peshawar, led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and accompanied by Bushra, who was released on bail in October after nearly nine months in detention. KP is ruled by Khan’s party, which is in opposition in the national parliament, and Gandapur is a key PTI leader and a close aide of Khan’s.

The PTI march started on Sunday but could not reach Islamabad as shipping containers placed by the government on key points on major highways slowed the pace of the caravans. 

“We wouldn’t let them storm the capital,” provincial Information Minister Uzma Bukhari told a news conference, adding that several police officials were injured in clashes and rioting at some places in the province.

Ahead of Khan’s protest, the government had imposed a two-month ban on public gatherings in the capital, citing security challenges and inconvenience to the public. Earlier this year, parliament also passed a new law to regulate public assembly in Islamabad, which said, among other rules, that any party or group wanting to hold a protest can only do so at a venue designated by the administration and during set timings.

Authorities have closed all schools in Islamabad and the adjacent garrison city of Rawalpindi, while the Internet and WhatsApp messaging services also slowed.

ARRESTS AND CLASHES

On Monday afternoon, the caravan crossed barriers at Ghazi Barotha and the Hazara toll plaza before entering Punjab’s Attock district. Clashes between protesters and police were reported as the march reached the Kati Pahari area, with PTI workers struggling to clear the motorway under tear gas shelling.

Islamabad police confirmed over 400 arrests related to the protest in the past few days, saying the detainees were being held in different police stations. The PTI said over 3,500 of its leaders and supporters had been arrested in connection to the protests.

“So far, no major clashes have been reported today within Islamabad’s jurisdiction,” Jawad Taqi, the police spokesperson, told Arab News. “Police remain vigilant and prepared to uphold law and order in the capital.”

Another police official in the nearby city of Rawalpindi also reported a “calmer situation,” following minor clashes on Saturday near the peripheries of the federal capital.

“Several individuals have been arrested, but the exact number will be confirmed later,” Sajjad Ali, Punjab Police spokesperson in Rawalpindi, said. “Some police officials were injured yesterday, and further details will be shared soon.”

PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai, who is part of the caravan, told Arab News over the phone the march would carry on until it reached D-Chowk. 

“We will only return from D-Chowk when Imran Khan and other innocent party workers are released from Pakistani prisons,” he said. 

The PTI’s march has coincided with a visit to Islamabad by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko and a 68-member delegation to discuss investment deals. The government has accused the PTI of trying to sabotage the foreign visit in a bid to destabilize its economic recovery efforts. 

Yousafzai rejected this criticism, saying his party had called the protest well before the Belarusian delegation’s arrival was announced. 

“We have not blocked the roads,” he added. “The government has blocked the roads, creating a situation like this. The government should have held talks with the PTI instead of blocking the roads.”

KP government spokesperson Muhammad Ali Saif also said the PTI planned to hold a “protracted protest.”

“We are advancing according to our plan and are not in a hurry,” he said. “The government should prepare food supplies for the police for several days because we won’t stop until our demands are met.”

A report prepared by Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance estimated economic losses of Rs190 billion ($684 million) per day due to political protests.

Police officers sit on motorbikes with shipping containers in the background, used to prevent an anti-government rally by supporters of the former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), in Islamabad on November 24, 2024. (REUTERS)

 

Topics: PTI protest Islamabad Protest Imran Khan Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party

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Islamabad, Minsk sign several MoUs ahead of President Lukashenko’s visit to Pakistan today

Updated 44 min 30 sec ago
Shahjahan Khurram  
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Islamabad, Minsk sign several MoUs ahead of President Lukashenko’s visit to Pakistan today

  • Both sides sign agreements related to tractors, pharmaceuticals, tires and veterinary medicines
  • Pakistan has increasingly eyed foreign trade and investment to ensure economic stability
Updated 44 min 30 sec ago
Shahjahan Khurram  

ISLAMABAD: Belarus President Aleksander Lukashenko is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan today, Monday, for a three-day visit to the country as Islamabad eyes foreign investment in its renewed efforts to ensure economic growth and stability.
Pakistan’s government has been seeking foreign trade, investment and bilateral cooperation agreements with old and new allies as it seeks to keep its $350 billion fragile economy afloat whilst grappling with a macroeconomic crisis. 
A 68-member delegation from Belarus arrived in Pakistan’s capital on Sunday ahead of Lukashenko’s visit. The Belarusian delegation arrives in the capital as thousands of supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan march toward Islamabad, demanding his release from prison, independence of the judiciary and to register their protest against alleged rigging in the country’s February general election. 
“President of the Republic of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko will undertake three-day visit to Pakistan from today,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said in a report. 
Belarus’ Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov oversaw the signing of several agreements in Islamabad. Pakistan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar welcomed Ryzhenkov to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the two discussed bilateral and regional issues, and the agenda of Lukashenko’s visit. 
During a meeting of the Pakistan Belarus Business Forum, the two sides signed MoUs related to tractors, pharmaceuticals, tires and veterinary medicines. 
“The two sides emphasized the importance of enhanced cooperation in international and regional organizations to advance mutual interest and to jointly address global challenges,” Pakistan’s foreign office said.
Pakistan and Belarus, the world’s 74th-largest economy by GDP, celebrated thirty years of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year. Pakistan was one of the first countries to recognize Belarus after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and maintains an embassy in Minsk.
The prime minister of Belarus was in Islamabad earlier this year where he met his counterpart as well as the chief of the Pakistan army, among other key leaders.
In September, Pakistan and Belarus discussed different options for a joint venture to establish a tractor plant in the country and reached a consensus on collaborating on a foot-and-mouth disease vaccine to protect cattle, as well as on the capacity building of agricultural engineers in machinery design.
They also agreed to enhance cooperation in the sectors of livestock and seeds, and work together on the mechanization of agriculture and on increasing market access for agricultural and livestock products. Belarus also wants to set up a veterinary medicine plant in Pakistan.
The First Pakistan-Belarus Joint Economic Commission (JEC) was held in 2015 in which the two countries agreed to initiate joint ventures in the textile, pharmaceutical and lighting solution industries and share technological expertise.

Topics: Pakistan Belarus Ties Belarus president PTI protest Imran Khan Islamabad Protest

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Pakistan president calls for education, financial freedom to combat violence against women

Updated 25 November 2024
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Pakistan president calls for education, financial freedom to combat violence against women

  • Zardari urges ‘systematic reforms’ on International Day to End Violence Against Women
  • Pakistan has introduced laws to protect women, but their implementation is inadequate
Updated 25 November 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday called for intensified efforts to eliminate violence against women, emphasizing education and financial independence as essential tools to empower women and ensure their safety.
Zardari issued the statement on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, observed annually on November 25, to highlight the global issue of gender-based violence, which affects one in three women worldwide, according to the United Nations.
In Pakistan, the problem is compounded by deeply rooted patriarchal norms, with incidents of domestic abuse, honor killings and workplace harassment remaining widespread despite existing laws.
“Today, we renew our commitment to protecting women’s rights, providing a safe and supportive environment and eradicating violence,” the president said in a statement. “It is essential to provide women with education and skills and ensure their financial independence.”
“Every year, thousands of women lose their lives due to violence,” he added. “To prevent violence against women, strategies and systemic reforms must be implemented.”
Pakistan has introduced several laws to protect women, including legislation against sexual violence and workplace harassment. However, human rights organizations point to significant gaps in enforcement and the persistence of discriminatory attitudes that undermine women’s safety.
The president described violence against women as a “major human rights issue,” stressing the importance of raising awareness about women’s rights and the urgent need for collective action to create a safer society.
“Through collective efforts, we can create a safer, violence-free environment for women,” he said.
The president also recalled how Pakistan’s only female prime minister, his late wife Benazir Bhutto, emphasized economic freedom and social equality to improve the quality of life for women in the country.
He said she aspired to create a society free from exploitation and mistreatment of women.
“I am pleased that meaningful efforts are being made in Pakistan to eliminate violence against women,” he added. “Through collective efforts, we can create a safer, violence-free environment for women.”

Topics: domestic abuse Pakistan education Asif Ali Zardari

Elephant Madhubala set to reunite with kin on Tuesday after 15-year separation

Updated 25 November 2024
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Elephant Madhubala set to reunite with kin on Tuesday after 15-year separation

  • Madhubala has languished in Karachi Zoo’s solitary confinement since April 2023 after elephant Noor Jehan died
  • Animal rights activists have campaigned for elephants to be shifted to species-appropriate sanctuaries 
Updated 25 November 2024
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Elephant Madhubala is set to be reunited with her cousins at Karachi’s Safari Park sanctuary on Tuesday after being separated from them for 15 years and spending a year in solitary confinement, an animal welfare organization said. 
Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, was brought to the country in 2009 along with three other elephants from Tanzania. She and her companion, Noor Jehan, were separated from their kin about 15 years ago and brought to the Karachi Zoo. 

This handout photo, taken and released by FOUR PAWS International, a Vienna-based animal welfare organization, on November 24, 2024, shows Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, at a zoo in Karachi. (Photo courtesy: FOUR PAWS/Handout)

Noor Jehan passed away in April 2023, leaving Madhubala in solitary confinement at the zoo since then. Animal rights organizations have vigorously campaigned for Madhubala to be shifted to the Safari Park, saying the solitary confinement has taken a toll on her health. 
A team from FOUR PAWS International, a Vienna-based animal welfare organization, has arrived in Karachi to oversee Madhubala’s transfer to the sanctuary. 
“I’m excited to see how Madhubala will react when she meets her cousins,” Dr. Amir Khalil, director of reveal and rescue at FOUR PAWS, told Arab News. 

This handout photo, taken and released by FOUR PAWS International, a Vienna-based animal welfare organization, on November 24, 2024, shows officials from the FOUR PAWS work on a sanctuary being created for Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, at Safari Park in Karachi. (Photo courtesy: FOUR PAWS/Handout)

“Imagine someone who hasn’t seen their siblings in fifteen years — how will she feel when they finally reunite?”
Animal rights activists have long campaigned against the plight of animals in Pakistan, especially elephants, and demanded they be shifted to “species-appropriate” locations such as the Safari Park.
FOUR PAWS has said the elephant enclosures at Safari Park would have water elements for bathing, skincare and thermoregulation. Enrichments such as hay nets, varying substrates like soil, sand, clay, and sawdust will be provided for Madhubala to dust bathe while the area is secured by elephant-proof fencing.

This handout photo, taken and released by FOUR PAWS International, a Vienna-based animal welfare organization, on November 24, 2024, shows Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, at a zoo in Karachi. (Photo courtesy: FOUR PAWS/Handout)

Four Paws said in a statement last month that the adaptation work at Karachi’s Safari Park had reached its final stage. Madhubala will be carried from the Karachi Zoo to the Safari Park in a huge transport crate. 
The elephant was trained to enter and exit the crate by herself and sit inside it earlier this year. 
“As part of the final preparations, the focus now lies on completing the landscaping of the elephant enclosure at Safari Park, finalizing enrichment features, and continuing the necessary training of the three elephants, including resuming crate training for Madhubala,” FOUR PAWS said last month.

This handout photo, taken and released by FOUR PAWS International, a Vienna-based animal welfare organization, on November 24, 2024, shows official from the FOUR PAWS works on a sanctuary being created for Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, at Safari Park in Karachi. (Photo courtesy: FOUR PAWS/Handout)

The relocation, among others, will be witnessed by Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, the consul general of the United Arab Emirates and the ambassador of Austria.

This handout photo, taken and released by FOUR PAWS International, a Vienna-based animal welfare organization, on November 24, 2024, shows Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, at a zoo in Karachi. (Photo courtesy: FOUR PAWS/Handout)

 

Topics: Madhubala elephant Elephant in Karachi Zoo safari park

Pakistan Senate chairman leaves for Saudi Arabia to strengthen bilateral ties

Updated 56 min 52 sec ago
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Pakistan Senate chairman leaves for Saudi Arabia to strengthen bilateral ties

  • Yousuf Raza Gillani to meet Saudi Shoura Council chairman, governors of Riyadh and Madinah during visit
  • Pakistan and Saudi Arabia closely cooperate in defense, military, economy, trade and other vital sectors
Updated 56 min 52 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gillani left for a five-day trip to Saudi Arabia on Monday with his visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and promoting institutional cooperation between Islamabad and Riyadh, the Senate Secretariat said. 
The invitation to Gillani and his delegation was extended by Saudi Arabia’s Shoura Council, the secretariat said. The Majlis Al-Shoura, or Consultative Council, is a legislative body that advises the Saudi king on issues that are important to Saudi Arabia.
“Chairman Senate Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani has left for a five-day trip to Saudi Arabia with a delegation,” the Senate Secretariat said in a statement. 
“The aim of the visit is to further promote bilateral relations and institutional cooperation.”
The Pakistani delegation will hold high-level meetings with the Shoura Council chairman, governors of Madinah and Riyadh, and conduct other high-level meetings, it said. 
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy cordial relations that have resulted in close cooperation in defense, military, economic and other sectors. 
Last month, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed investment agreements worth $2.8 billion while Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has pledged to expedite a $5 billion investment portfolio for Islamabad.
Saudi Arabia has frequently bailed Pakistan out of its economic crisis over the years, coming to its aid with loan rollovers and providing oil on deferred payments to Islamabad.

Topics: Pakistan senate Pakistan Saudi Ties

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