Cabinet reshuffle: Kaira appointed Information minister

Kaira takes over from Dr Firdaus Ashiq Awan, who has been appointed to the National Regulation & Services ministry. PHOTO: AFP/FILE

ISLAMABAD: Senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Qamar Zaman Kaira has been appointed the new Minister of Information and Broadcasting. He takes over from Dr Firdaus Ashiq Awan, who has been appointed to the National Regulation & Services ministry.

The government had inducted 11 new ministers into the Federal Cabinet on Friday – taking the total size from 38 to 49, in addition to the presence of four advisers and five special assistants.

Additionally, Raja Pervez Ashraf, who is under scrutiny for the Rental Power Projects case, has been assigned Information Technology. Nazar Mohammad Gondal to Capital Administration & Development, Maula Bux Chandio to Political Affairs and Rana Mohammad Farooq Saeed Khan has been assigned Environmental Change.

Five senior members of the PPP – Raja Pervez Ashraf, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Nazar Muhammad Gondal, Rana Farooq Saeed and Farzana Raja had taken oath as federal ministers. Tasneem Qureshi, who had earlier served as minister of state for interior, and Malik Ammad Khan, a former minister of state for foreign affairs, Samsam Bukhari a former minister of state for information and three others, MNA Raheela Baloch, Senator Abbas Afridi and MNA Malik Azmat, had taken oath as ministers of state.

Other ministers who were assigned portfolios for Ministers of State today were:

• Samsam Ali Bukhari (Information and Broadcasting)
• Malik Ammad Khan (Foreign Affairs)
• Imtiaz Safdar Warraich (Interior)
• Sardar Muazam Ali Jatoi (Food Security & Research)
• Malik Azmat Khan (Inter-provincial Coordination)
• Tasneem Ahmed Qureshi (Water & Power)
• Raheela Baloch (Science & Technology)
• Dost Muhammad Mazari (Communication)
• Sardar Saleem Haider (Defense)
• Abbas Khan Afridi (Commerce)