Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) and ex-Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Pervez Khattak, Muhammad Ali, and former top bureaucrat Syed Tauqir Hussain Shah have been appointed as advisors to Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif.

 

The Cabinet Division issued a notification on Thursday, stating, “As per clause one of the Article 93 of the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the President on the advice of the Prime Minister, has been pleased to appoint with immediate effect, the following as Advisor to the Prime Minister with the status of the Federal Ministers: Pervez Khattak, Muhammad Ali and Syed Tauqir Hussain Shah."

 

 

As per the notification, after appointing Mr Muhammad Ali as an advisor to the PM, he ceases to hold the office of the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM).

 

In a separate notification issued by the Cabinet Division on Thursday, 12 federal ministers and nine ministers of state have also been appointed.

 

The newly inducted federal ministers include Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Hanif Abbasi, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Sardar Yousuf, Rana Mubasher, Raza Hayat Hiraj, Junaid Anwar, Shaza Fatima, and Moin Wattoo; Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Mustafa Kamal; Khalid Magsi from Balochistan Awami Party (BAP); and independent leader Aurangzeb Khichi.

 

Similarly, the nine ministers of the state include Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) leader Aun Chaudhry and PML-N leaders Barrister Aqeel, Malik Rashid, Talal Chaudhry, Abdul Rehman Kanju, Bilal Azhar Kayani, Dr Mukhtar Bharath, Wajih Qamar, and Khel Das.

 

Meanwhile, Haroon Akhtar, Huzaifa Rehman, Talha Barki, and the recently expelled Member of the National Assembly (MNA) from PTI, Mubarak Zeb, have been appointed as Special Assistants to the PM.

 

Mubarak Zeb was among four lawmakers expelled by PTI on Thursday for violating party rules by voting in favour of the 26th Amendment against party directives, Dawn News reported.

 

According to a notification issued by PTI’s Additional Secretary General Firdous Shamim Naqvi, the decision to expel Zeb was made following the completion of an inquiry and recommendations from the party’s political committee, founding chairman, and chairman. The expelled members were Amanullah Khichi, Mubarak Zeb, Zahoor Qureshi, and Usman Ali.

 

With these additions, PM Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet has expanded significantly despite their tall claims of austerity.

 

Before the expansion, the federal cabinet comprised 21 members—18 federal ministers, two ministers of state, and one advisor—apart from four SAPMs.

 

Shortly after President Zardari awarded the prestigious Nishan-i-Pakistan to the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Thursday, federal ministers and ministers of state took oath at the Presidency.