Federal cabinet to take oath today

The newly selected ministers of PM Shehbaz’s federal cabinet will take their oath from President Asif Ali Zardari.

Today at 3 PM, the ceremony for taking the oath will take place in Aiwan-e-Sadr, Islamabad.

After consulting with his older brother Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decided on the choices for the federal cabinet, with Ishaq Dar withdrawing from consideration to be the finance minister.

Ishaq Dar, a close ally of the Sharif family and a four-term finance minister, is expected to take over as foreign minister, according to sources .

The IMF has commended Akhtar’s role in the current caretaker administration for its “decisive policy efforts” to preserve stability.

According to further sources, Khawaja Muhammad Asif will continue to lead the military ministry. Ahsan Iqbal is expected to become the minister of planning, Ataullah Tarar the minister of media, and Musadik Malik the minister of energy.

Tariq Fatemi and Jalil Abbas Jilani will take on the roles of special assistant and adviser on foreign policy, respectively. Mohsin Naqvi, the former chief minister of Punjab, will join the interior ministry as an advisor.

Reputable bankers Shamshad Akhtar and Muhammad Aurangzeb Khan are expected to assist the prime minister on income and finance, according to reports.