Ex-SBP governor Shamshad made finance minister
NAVEED BUTT
ISLAMABAD: A six-member interim cabinet of caretaker Prime Minister former Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk took oath at the President’s House on Tuesday.
President Mamnoon Hussain administered oath to the newly-inducted members of the cabinet – Dr Shamshad Akhtar, former governor State Bank of Pakistan, Abdullah Hussain Haroon, former Pakistan’s ambassador to the United Nations, former Senator Roshan Khursheed Bharucha, Mohammad Yousuf Sheikh, Mohammad Azam Khan, and Syed Ali Zafar.
According to notification of Cabinet Division, Dr Shamshad Akhtar has been given portfolio of the Ministry of Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs and Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform with additional portfolio of Ministry of Commerce and Textile and Ministry of Industries and Production in the caretaker setup.
Shamshad took charge of the Finance Ministry. Finance Secretary Arif Rana received and welcomed the finance minister and briefed her about the economic situation of the country.
Shamshad is an under-secretary-general of the United Nation (UN) and currently serving as the 10th executive secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.
She made history after becoming the first woman governor of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) (2006-2009). Prior to her appointment as the SBP governor, Dr Akhtar served as the director general of Southeast Asia Department of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Before joining the ADB, she worked for 10 years as an economist in the World Bank’s Resident Mission in Pakistan. In Pakistan, she also worked briefly with the planning offices of both the federation and Sindh governments.
Abdullah Hussain Haroon has been given the portfolio of Foreign Ministry and National Security Division along with the additional portfolio of Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Defense Production.
Abdullah Hussain Haroon had served as an ambassador and Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations from 2008 to 2013. He was born on October 21, 1950. Haroon also served as a member of the Sindh Assembly from 1985 to 1988, its speaker from 1985 to 1986 and remained opposition leader in Sindh Assembly from 1986 to 1988.
A scion of the Haroon family, he is a businessperson, social activist and has been a board member of various educational institutes, sports associations and charity organisations.
Syed Ali Zafar who is a son of senior lawyer and one of the authors of the Constitution former Senator SM Zafar, has been given the portfolio of Ministry of Law and Justice as well as Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Ministry of Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage.
Barrister Syed Ali Zafar is a renowned legal expert and he remained president of Supreme Court Bar Association for 2015-16.
Muhammad Azam Khan has been given the portfolio of Ministry of Interior, Capital Administration and Development Division, Ministry of Narcotics Control along with additional charge of Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination. Azam is a retired bureaucrat who served as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary.
Muhammad Yousaf Sheikh has been given the portfolio of Ministry of Education and Professional Training with additional portfolio of Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination and Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony. Sheikh served as the principal of cadet college, Larkana. The retired major strove for education in Pakistan throughout his career.
According to the notification, Roshan Khursheed Bharucha has been given the portfolio of Ministry of Human Rights, Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan and Ministry of States and Frontier Regions.
Bharucha worked as provincial minister (2000-2002) in the government of Balochistan in departments of social welfare, informal education, human rights, youth, information, population, information technology, manpower training, sports and archives & culture. She is a former senator.
The caretaker cabinet will serve until a new government is elected through the 2018 general election scheduled for July 25.
