ISLAMABAD: Legislators in Pakistan’s key Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces were sworn in as members of the cabinet on Wednesday, almost a month after the contentious polls of Feb. 8.
In Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous and politically important Punjab province, an 18-member cabinet was sworn in, whose members will serve under the country’s first woman chief minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
The legislators were sworn in at a ceremony held at the Governor’s House in Lahore. Punjab Governor Muhammad Balighur Rehman administered the oath of office to 18 legislators with Sharif by his side.
“That, as a minister of the government of Punjab, I will discharge my duties, and perform my functions, honestly, to the best of my ability, faithfully in accordance with the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the law,” the ministers read out their oath after the governor.
“And always in the interest of the sovereignty, integrity, solidarity, well-being and prosperity of Pakistan.”
Legislators who took oath were Marriyum Aurangzeb, Azma Bokhari, Shafay Hussain, Salman Rafique, Khawaja Imran Nazir, Syed Muhammad Ashiq Hussain Shah, Muhammad Kazim Pirzada, Rana Sikandar Hayat, Zeeshan Rafique, Bilal Akbar Khan, Sohaib Ahmed Malik, Bilal Yasin, Ramesh Singh Arora, Khalil Tahir Sandhu, Faisal Ayub, Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani, Sohail Shoukat Butt and Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman.
Aurangzeb has been handed the portfolio of planning and development as a senior minister while Bokhari will head the ministry of information. Hussain has been given charge of the provincial ministry of commerce and industry.
Salman has been given charge of the specialized health care department while Nazir will lead the primary and secondary health ministry in Punjab. Sandhu has been handed charge of Punjab’s human rights ministry while Arora has been appointed as the minister for minorities by the chief minister.
Separately, a 15-member cabinet was sworn in at the Governor’s House in Peshawar. With newly elected Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur by his side, Governor Hajji Ghulam Ali administered the oath of office to the legislators.
Before the ceremony began, legislators shouted slogans in favor of former prime minister Imran Khan, the jailed head of the majority party in the province, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). A large, framed picture of the jailed cricketer-turned-politician was placed in the middle of the table by the legislators.
Members of the KP cabinet who were sworn in included Arshad Ayub Khan, Shakeel Ahmad, Fazal Hakim Khan, Muhammad Adnan Qadri, Aqib Ullah Khan, Muhammad Sajjad, Meena Khan, Fazal Shakoor, Nazir Ahmad Abbasi, Pakhtoon Yar Khan, Aftab Alam Khan Afridi, Khaleeq Ur Rehman, Syed Qasim Ali Shah, Faisal Khan Tarakai and Muhammad Zahir Shah.
The ceremonies take place amid a tense political atmosphere in Pakistan, with the PTI refusing to acknowledge the mandate of its rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party.
The PTI says it won a two-thirds majority in the Feb. 8 polls, which were marred by allegations of vote rigging and a countrywide shutdown of mobile and Internet services. Pakistan’s election regulator has rejected the PTI’s allegations it manipulated results, calling on all aggrieved parties to seek redressal from relevant forums.
As economically troubled Pakistan seeks a new long-term bailout program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) amid overlapping security, economic and political crises, Khan’s party has vowed to continue protests against the “rigged” elections.
Cabinets take oath in Pakistan’s key Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces
https://arab.news/2j2w8
Cabinets take oath in Pakistan’s key Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces
- Eighteen-member cabinet sworn in Pakistan’s most populous eastern Punjab province
- Fifteen-member cabinet takes oath in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
Pakistan, Canada explore deeper trade, mining and agriculture cooperation
- The development comes as Pakistan seeks to boost trade, foreign investment to strengthen its more than $400 billion economy
- Both sides reviewed the evolving global economic landscape, underscored the need for adaptive trade strategies, Islamabad says
KARACHI: Pakistani and Canadian officials have discussed ways to deepen cooperation in trade, mining and agriculture, the Pakistani commerce ministry said on Saturday, with both sides seeking to expand economic ties.
The statement came after Pakistani Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan’s meeting with Canadian High Commissioner to Pakistan Tarik Ali Khan that focused on expanding bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, mining, agriculture, energy and emerging sectors.
Pakistan, which is recovering from a prolonged economic meltdown under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program, has sought to boost trade, foreign investment to strengthen its more than $400 billion economy.
“During the meeting, both sides reviewed the evolving global economic landscape and underscored the need for adaptive trade strategies amid shifting supply chains and geopolitical realignments,” the Pakistani commerce ministry said in a statement.
“The federal minister emphasized Pakistan’s intent to diversify partnerships and attract quality foreign investment, particularly in value-adding and export-oriented sectors.”
A major focus of discussions was cooperation in the mining and minerals sector. Pakistan has vast mineral resources, including Reko Diq copper-gold mine, which is one of the world’s largest undeveloped mines.
The Reko Diq project, located in the Balochistan province, is also being developed by Canadian mining giant Barrick Gold in partnership with Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments.
Commerce Minister Khan highlighted Pakistan’s growing interest in developing small and medium-scale mining projects and stressed the importance of modern exploration techniques, surveying expertise and responsible mining governance.
“The Canadian high commissioner noted Canada’s global leadership in mining services and exploration technologies and expressed willingness to support Pakistan through capacity-building initiatives, technical assistance and business-to-business matchmaking,” the commerce ministry said.
“In this context, both sides discussed Pakistan’s participation in the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference in Toronto, with an emphasis on linking Pakistani miners with reputable Canadian exploration companies and service providers.”
The meeting also covered agricultural cooperation, with particular reference to the recent resumption of Canadian canola exports to Pakistan, according to the statement. The two sides acknowledged the successful arrival of initial shipments and agreed to work closely on addressing regulatory and procedural bottlenecks to ensure smooth and timely imports.
“Discussions further explored potential cooperation in dairy and livestock development, including animal genetics, modern dairy farming technologies and disease-control mechanisms, aimed at enhancing productivity and quality standards in Pakistan,” the commerce ministry added.
“On the energy front, the Canadian High Commissioner raised issues related to Canadian investments in renewable energy projects in Pakistan and stressed the importance of regulatory predictability and timely approvals to sustain investor confidence. Both sides also reviewed progress on the Pakistan–Canada Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) and agreed on the need to maintain momentum in negotiations to encourage greater Canadian investment.”
