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WEEKLY
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| PM now heads a jumbo cabinet |
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Tuesday, November 04, 2008
MQM, JUI stay away as 22 federal ministers, 18 ministers of state sworn in
By Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: After a gruelling wait, the PPP-led coalition government expanded the federal cabinet on Monday by inducting 40 ministers, pushing the total to 55 and making it one of the largest cabinets in Pakistan’s history.
The new faces in the cabinet include 22 federal ministers and 18 ministers of state. President Asif Ali Zardari administered oath to the new ministers. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza, ministers, parliamentarians and high-ranking officials attended the oath-taking ceremony.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl stayed away from joining the cabinet, an indication of differences with the PPP over the apportionment of portfolios and the number of ministries they were offered. The cabinet expansion came on a day when outside the Darbar Hall of the presidency, where the ceremony took place, lawyers and political activists chanted slogans against the November 3, 2007 imposition of state of emergency.
The surprising aspect of the cabinet expansion was the absence of the names of much-talked-about PML-Q forward bloc aspirants from the list of new ministers. Those who were sworn in on Monday belong to the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), the Awami National Party (ANP), Fata, the BNP-Awami and the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional.
As expected, the Punjab got the lion’s share in the cabinet expansion as 10 federal ministers and 11 ministers of state were taken from the largest province. Six federal ministers and 3 ministers of states were taken from Sindh, two federal ministers, belonging to the PPP, from the NWFP and one minister of state from Balochistan. From the ANP, two ministers of state were inducted while the PML-Functional got one federal minister and one minister of state, both belonging to Sindh. Senator Israrullah Zehri, who belongs to the BNP-Awami, was also sworn in as minister.
Senior PPP leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim has been appointed as a senior minister with the portfolio of Commerce. Mian Raza Rabbani, who will also hold the office of the leader of house in the Senate, has been given the portfolio of Inter-provincial Coordination.
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani also reshuffled the portfolios of some of his ministers. Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, who was looking after the Ministry of Local Government and Development has now been shifted to the Ministry of Railways and Syed Naveed Qamar, who was looking after the Ministry for Ports and Shipping, has now been given the Ministry of Privatisation and Investment.
Najamuddin Khan got the Ministry of Sports, leaving the charge of the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions. The portfolio of Khawaja Muhammad Khan Hoti has also been changed to the Ministry of Narcotics, which was previously being looked after by Nazar Muhammad Gondal. Gondal has been made incharge of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock.
The names of the newly inducted federal ministers are: Makhdoom Amin Fahim (senior minister with the portfolio of Commerce), Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo (Industries and Production), Hamid Saeed Kazmi (Religious Affairs), Dr Babar Awan (Parliamentary Affairs), Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan (Social Welfare), Rana Muhammad Farooq Saeed Khan, Samina Khalid Ghurki, Abdul Qayyum Khan Jatoi, Shahbaz Bhatti (Minority Affairs), Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Syed Mumtaz Alam Gilani, Mian Raza Rabbani (Inter-provincial Coordination), Pir Aftab Hussain Shah Jilani, Mir Ijaz Hussain Jakhrani (Health), Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani (Education), Shahid Hussain Bhutto, Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan, Waqar Ahmad Khan, Lal Muhammad Khan, Mir Israrullah Zehri, Abdur Razzaq Thaheem (Kashmir and Northern Areas Affairs) and Noorul Haq Qadri.
The names of the ministers of state are: Tariq Anis, Imtiaz Safdar Waraich, Mehreen Anwar Raja (Parliamentary Affairs), Tasneem Ahmad Qureshi (Interior), Muhammad Afzal Sindhu, Ghulam Fareed Kathia, Rafiq Ahmad Jamali (Food and Agriculture), Sardar Nabeel Gabool (Ports and Shipping), Muhammad Jadam Mangrio, Shagufta Jamani, Hina Rabbani Khar (Economic Affairs), Sardar Saleem Haider and Nawabzada Malik Ahmad Khan (minister of state for Foreign Affairs), Syed Samsam Ali Shah (Information and Broadcasting), Dr Ayatullah Durrani, Abdul Rafiq, Arbab Muhammad Zahir and Masood Abbas (Science and Technology).
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20 die as bomber hits Peshawar Judicial Complex
By Javed Aziz Khan
PESHAWAR: A suicide bomber blew himself up at the main gate of the Judicial Complex on the Khyber Road here on Thursday, killing 20 people, including three cops, and wounding over 50 others.
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Finally, dreaded NRO list is out and official
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) presented to the government on Thursday a list of 248 politicians and bureaucrats, who were alleged to have plundered hundreds of billions of rupees but were more |
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Gilani to quit if wife proved NRO beneficiary
By Muhammad Saleh Zaafir
& Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: In what could be described as a clear message to the beneficiaries of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) to resign from their posts, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilan more |
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Multiple criteria agreed for NFC Award
By Imtiaz Ali
KARACHI: The Fifth National Finance Commission (NFC) meeting in the city on Thursday decided in principle to make population, revenue, backwardness and “inverse density population” (the less the population, the more |
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Karzai sworn in for second term
KABUL: Veteran Afghan leader Hamid Karzai was sworn in as president on Thursday, pledging to fight graft and take control of his country’s security before his five-year term ends, after a fraud-marred election more |
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US asked to take Pakistan into confidence on Afghan policy
KABUL: President Asif Ali Zardari has asked the US to take Pakistan on board regarding its new policy on Afghanistan, as it would also have an impact on Pakistan.
He expressed these views while talking t more |
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‘India failed to respond positively on peace talks’
KABUL: Reiterating his strong stance that India is not serious in the process of dialogue with Pakistan, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday underlined that India had not given Pakistan a positive more |
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Dictators ruled for decades but civilians can’t complete tenure: Shahbaz
KARACHI: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Balochistan CM Nawab Aslam Raisani and Sindh CM Syed Qaim Ali Shah have vowed to make Pakistan a welfare state as envisioned by the Quaid-i-Azam.
Talking t more |
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Vehicle escorting CIA director overturns
By Shakeel Anjum
ISLAMABAD: A vehicle of a sensitive security agency escorting US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Leon Panetta, currently on a ‘secret’ visit to Pakistan, overturned near the KRL Chowk at Islamabad Ex more |
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Headley, Rana being probed for involvement in 26/11 attacks
By Sami Abraham
WASHINGTON: Two former students of Cadet College Hasan Abdal, currently living in Chicago, are being investigated for their possible involvement in Mumbai attacks last year in which more than 160 people were ki more |
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PM’s wife not NRO beneficiary: NAB
ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau Thursday clarified that Fouzia Gilani, wife of Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, was not a beneficiary of the National Reconciliation Ordinance as references agains more |
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Recovered billions can make real difference
By Mehtab Haider
ISLAMABAD: The 160 million people can be provided major relief and even increase in electricity tariff by 30 per cent can be avoided if Rs 165 billion (conservative estimate) are recovered from the beneficiarie more |
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China wants improved Indo-Pak ties
News Desk
BEIJING: The Chinese foreign ministry on Thursday gave the impression that it was merely interested in the gradual improvement in relations between India and Pakistan but was not trying to interfere with the pr more |
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US supports Pakistan-India dialogue
WASHINGTON: A senior American diplomat has said Washington is supportive of resolution of disputes between India and Pakistan through dialogue.
“Of course, we all share an interest in stability and peace more |
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Remarks on women pilots
News Desk
NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force (IAF) vice chief, Air Marshal P K Barbora, on Thursday offered his apologies if anyone’s feelings have been hurt by his remarks on induction of women fighter pilots, and stressed more |
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Nato must not walk away from Afghanistan, says chief
BUDAPEST: Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Thursday the alliance must not turn its back on Afghanistan as this would raise the threat from al-Qaeda and lead to insecurity throughout central more |
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BoP scam accused sent on 12-day remand
By our correspondent
LAHORE: An accountability court on Thursday sent two main accused of the Rs 9 billion Bank of Punjab scam on 12-day physical remand, directing the NAB officials to produce them again in the court along with oth more |
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briefs...
Eid holidays
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has announced Eid-ul-Azha holidays from November 27 to 30, said an announcement made by the PM Secretariat here on Thursday.
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