Some are veterans who have experience of managing various ministries, for others it would be a first
The President House Monday was packed with newly elected lawmakers inducted into the federal cabinet.
While some of these are veteran politicians who have experience in managing various ministries in the Centre, for others it would be the first time overseeing a federal ministry.
Following are the profiles of some of the members of the federal cabinet.
Khawaja Asif
Khawaja Asif, who will be reportedly spearheading the Defence Ministry, was elected as a member of the Senate in 1991 and a member of the National Assembly in 1993. He was elected as an MNA in 1997, 2002, 2008, 2013, 2018 and 2024.
This is the third time that Asif will serve as a defence minister, he has previously also served as the minister of foreign affairs, water and power, and petroleum.
Ahsan Iqbal
Ahsan Iqbal was first elected as an MNA in 1993. Later, he was elected as the member of lower house of parliament in 1997, 2008, 2013, 2018 and 2024.
He has also previously served as the interior and planning minister. Ahsan survived an assassination attack in 2018 over alleged blasphemy allegations.
Mohsin Naqvi
Former Punjab chief minister, Syed Mohsin Naqvi, who belongs to the Syed family of Jhang, was born in Lahore and completed his primary education from the Crescent Model School.
Later, he graduated from the Government College Lahore. For higher education, Naqvi obtained a journalism degree from the United States of America and also worked with an American broadcasting organisation.
He is currently serving as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
Ishaq Dar
Senator Ishaq Dar, who is likely to be given the portfolio of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been a member of the Senate from 2003 to 2022. He has earlier served as finance minister from 1998 to 1999, then from March to May 2008.
Dar again led the finance ministry from 2013 to 2017 and then from 2022 to 2023. He was also the minister of industry and investment from February 1997 to July 1997 as well as commerce from December 1997 to October 1999. Previously, Dar was named as the Leader of Opposition in the Senate from March 2012 to June 2013.
Musadik Malik
Musadik Malik served as a member of the Senate since March 12, 2018. He was the federal minister of water and power from April to June 2013. Malik was the minister of state from 2013 to 2018 as well as the minister of petroleum and energy from April 2022 to August 2023.
Attaullah Tarar
The deputy secretary general of PML-N, Attaullah Tarar, is the grandson of former president Mohammad Rafiq Tarar. He first became a federal minister during the previous tenure of PM Shehbaz and served in his cabinet as a special assistant for interior and legal affairs.
Tarar has also previously served as the spokesperson of the Punjab government. In July 2022, he was appointed as the special assistant to PM on anti-narcotics department in the federal cabinet. The young politician has also served as Punjab home minister in December 2022.
Riaz Pirzada
Meanwhile, the portfolio for Riaz Pirzada — who has previously served as federal minister for Human Rights (2022) and minister for Inter-Provincial Communication (2017-2018) — has not been finalised.
The veteran politician has previously been elected as a member of the national assembly in 1993 and 2018, and a member of the Punjab Assembly in 1985 and 1988.
Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui
Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, the convener of Mutahidda Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, who has previously headed multiple ministries, became the federal cabinet member but his portfolio has not been decided yet.
Muhammad Aurangzeb
Muhammad Aurangzeb, a veteran banker who has served as director of the Pakistan Business Council and holds a senior position at a private bank, is likely to be given the portfolio of Finance Ministry after he relinquishes his Dutch nationality.
Aleem Khan
Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party chief Aleem Khan who got elected to the lower house by winning Lahore’s NA-117 seat is also part of Shehbaz’s cabinet and has previously headed the Ministry of Food from 2019 to 2021.
Awais Ahmad Leghari
Awias Ahmad Leghari, the son of former president Farooq Ahmad Leghari, was elected as a member of the Punjab Assembly from 1997 to 1999. He served as the federal minister for information technology from 2002 to 2004 and minister for energy from 2017 to 2018.
Jam Kamal Khan
Former Balochistan chief minister, Jam Kamal Khan, served as the provincial chief executive from 2018 to 2021. He has also headed the Petroleum Ministry from 2013 to 2018.
