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ISLAMABAD: Three legislators were inducted into the federal cabinet on Thursday, raising its strength to 36. Two of the new ministers belong to the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) and the third is a legislator from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).
Meanwhile, PML-N’s Khurram Dastagir, already in the cabinet as a minister of state, was sworn in as commerce minister.
President Mamnoon Hussain administered the oath of office to the ministers — Akram Khan Durrani (minister) and Abdul Ghafoor Haideri (minister of state) of the JUI-F and Abbas Afridi, a Fata legislator (minister).
Mr Afridi served as minister of state in the last PPP government.
The JUI-F took six months to decide to join the cabinet. Its spokesman Jan Achakzai told Dawn that the JUI-F was already part of the ruling coalition. It held the chairmanships of some parliamentary committees, including the Kashmir Committee. Besides, he said, Mohammad Khan Sheerani of the JUI-F was head of the Council of Islamic Ideology.
Mr Achakzai said his party had sought two federal ministries and chairmanships of four parliamentary committees. The PML-N and JUI-F had reached an accord several months ago but because of hectic engagements of the government its members could not join the cabinet.
He said that despite joining the cabinet, the JUI-F would continue to criticise any government policy which it thought was harmful for the country and the people.
The JUI-F is reported to have demanded two cabinet posts in July last year in exchange for supporting Mamnoon Hussain in the presidential election.
At that time, Maulana Fazlur Rehman told reporters that his party had extended “unconditional support” to Mr Hussain. Later he said in a statement that the party would submit the names of its ministers at an appropriate time.
Abbas Afridi told Dawn that although he had worked with the PPP government, he would strive to deliver while working with the present government.
Answering a question, he said he would ask the ruling party to induct more legislators from Fata into the federal cabinet. About the government’s policy to hold talks with the Taliban, he said he would follow the decision taken by an all-party conference in September last year.
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What is the point of having two ministers for one Ministry? What is it that the Minister of State or the Federal Minister bring to the table other than inflated egos, foreign bank accounts and real estate, that this country allows itself the luxury of having two basically ceremonial positions for one functionality. And to add insult to injury both individuals are not even subject matter experts for the ministries they work for. We are already a country that is financially stretched beyond comprehension running on foreign loans that generations of and we are increasing our cabinet sizes with every Tom, Dick and Harry in the land. To reiterate, what it is that the Federal Minister can or cannot do that this person needs the services of a Minister of State. And to think of it, all the work is being done by the bureaucrats and their cronies who can actually make some sense of all that is happening. Outrageous, really
Finally, Fazal-ur-rahman's dream came true
Now the famous maulana will feel relaxed. 3 ministers in the federal capital, a great way to start the innings. Khao Peo Aur Mast Raho. Ghareeb Jai Khadde Me
Where is the need for additional Ministers? We already had 33 of these people most of whom appear not to have any contribution for the betterment of the PEOPLE of Pakistan. Why put in 4more Ministers in the Cabinet? Pakistan is a poor country, living on dole out from International donors, where our need is to reduce our expenses & increase Revenues from Taxes collected from all those who earn money in the country from their businesses & agricultural outputs from this country's sacred land.
Our politicians are spending the country's available resources in NON - Development areas to keep themselves in power so they can continue to stay in power in this country to enjoy luxuries at the cost of the country' resources, purposely keeping people UN-EDUCATED and POOR by imposition of indirect taxes and increased inflation & other ways of destroying social structures & infrastructures, so the poor public cannot find time to raise objections to bad governance thus allowing freedom to the people in POWER to stay in Power.