Pakistan caretaker PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar's 18-member Cabinet takes oath
Kakar will stay in power till the general elections are conducted and will ensure a seamless transition of power. On Thursday, Pakistan president Arif Alvi administered an oath to the caretaker Cabinet at Aiwan-e-Sadr, the presidential house. According to an official statement, 16 federal ministers and 3 advisers are part of the Cabinet.
Former foreign secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani has been appointed as Foreign Minister, Sarfaraz Bugti as Interior Minister, Shamshad Akhtar as Finance Minister, Lt Gen (retired) Anwar Ali Haider as Defence Minister and senior journalist Murtaza Solangi as Information Minister. Khalil George took the oath as Minister for Minorities, industrialist Gohar Ijaz as Minister for Industries, academic Dr Umar Saif as Minister for Information Technology, Ahmad Irfan Aslam as Law Minister, renowned actor Jamal Shah as Minister for Culture Aniq Ahmad as Religious Affairs Minister. Akhtar is the only woman in the Cabinet.
The oath-taking ceremony began with the recitation of the Holy Quran at the President's House in Islamabad. The ceremony was attended by Kakar, Punjab interim Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi and others. The swearing-in of Cabinet ministers completed the process of government formation in the country, which is facing its worst economic crisis.
Under the Constitution, a caretaker government should be appointed to provide a neutral administration for holding the elections in a fair and transparent manner. Pakistan's National Assembly was dissolved on August 9, ending the tenure of the government led by Shehbaz Sharif and paving the way for installing a caretaker setup. The general elections in Pakistan are expected to be held within 90 days.
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