Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani has administered the oath to federal ministers and ministers of state, who will form the cabinet of newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

       The oath-taking ceremony began with the recitation of the Holy Quran at the President House.

       Thirty-one federal ministers and three ministers of state and as many advisers to the PM took the oath.

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       Federal ministers Khawaja Muhammad Asif (PML-N) Ahsan Iqbal (PML-N) Rana Sanaullah (PML-N) Sardar Ayaz Sadiq (PML-N) Rana Tanveer Hussain (PML-N) Khurram Dastgir Khan (PML-N) Marriyum Aurangzeb (PML-N) Khawaja Saad Rafique (PML-N) Miftah Ismail (PML-N) Javed Latif (PML-N) Riaz Hussain Pirzada (PML-N) Murtaza Javed Abbasi (PML-N) Azam Nazeer Tarar (PML-N) Syed Khursheed Shah (PPP) Syed Naveed Qamar (PPP) Sherry Rehman (PPP) Abdul Qadir Patel (PPP) Shazia Marri (PPP) Syed Murtaza Mahmud (PPP) Sajid Hussain Turi (PPP) Ehsan Ur Rehman Mazari (PPP) Abid Hussain (PPP) Asad Mahmood (MMA) Abdul Wasay (MMA) Abdul Shakoor (MMA) Muhammad Talha Mahmood (JUI) Aminul Haque (MQM-P) Faisal Sabzwari (MQM-P) Muhammad Israr Tareen (BAP) Shahzain Bugti (JWP) Tariq Bashir Cheema (PML-Q) Ministers of state Aisha Ghaus Pasha (PML-N) Abdul Rehman Khan Kanju (PML-N) Hina Rabbani Khar (PPP) Advisers to the PM Qamar Zaman Kaira (PPP) Amir Muqam (PML-N) Awn Chaudhry (PTI's Tareen group)

       According to a statement issued by the President House, PML-N's Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Sanaullah, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Rana Tanveer Hussain, Khurram Dastgir Khan, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Miftah Ismail, Javed Latif, Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Murtaza Javed Abbasi and Azam Nazeer Tarar took the oath as federal ministers.

       From the PPP, Syed Khursheed Shah, Syed Naveed Qamar, Sherry Rehman, Abdul Qadir Patel, Shazia Marri, Syed Murtaza Mahmud, Sajid Hussain Turi, Ehsan Ur Rehman Mazari and Abid Hussain took the oath as federal ministers.

       Asad Mahmood, Abdul Wasay and Abdul Shakoor of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan's Aminul Haque and Faisal Sabzwari, Balochistan Awami Party's Muhammad Israr Tareen, Jamhoori Watan Party's Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid's Tariq Bashir Cheema are also among the newly appointed federal ministers.

       Meanwhile, PML-N's Aisha Ghaus Pasha and Abdul Rehman Khan Kanju, as well as PPP's Hina Rabbani Khar, were administered the oath as ministers of state.

       Moreover, PPP's Qamar Zaman Kaira, PML-N's Amir Muqam and Awn Chaudhry from Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's estranged Jahangir Tareen group have been appointed as advisers to the prime minister.

       The ceremony was scheduled to be held on Monday, but it transpired that President Arif Alvi had refused to administer the oath to the lawmakers, compelling the government to postpone the ceremony to Tuesday (today).

       Earlier, a Dawn report, citing sources, had said President Arif Alvi was expected to go on leave on Tuesday over reported illness so that Sanjrani could administer the oath. Previously, the president had also excused himself to administer the oath to Sharif on health grounds after which Sanjrani had taken over the responsibility.

       Meanwhile, at a media briefing on Monday, PML-N's Marriyum Aurangzeb had said that the list of cabinet members had yet to be finalised, hinting that last-minute changes could be made before the oath-taking ceremony.

       "The decision has been taken with consensus from all coalition partners," she had claimed.

       Ruling PML-N leader Khawaja Asif, in a private TV show last night, had revealed the names of some of the PML-N leaders who were set to take up ministries in the new cabinet.

       According to him, Ahsan Iqbal is likely to get the Ministry of Planning and Development, Azam Nazir Tarar Law, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Energy, while Ayaz Sadiq will get the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

       Earlier, reports were making rounds that Aurangzeb would be given the portfolio of the information ministry while Rana Sanaullah will be given the reins of the interior ministry despite opposition within the ruling PML-N, and Miftah Ismail was reportedly being considered for finance ministry. However, no official announcement has yet been made in this regard.

       Former defence minister Asif had also claimed that PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari would be given the Foreign Ministry. However, a PPP leader told Dawn that the party chairman was not joining the cabinet in the first phase being announced today and might opt for a ministry after a few days.

       On the other hand, some government allies are still said to be “unsatisfied” over the demands they had extended to the government regarding distribution of ministries and other lucrative positions.

       It has been learnt that the Balochistan National Party (BNP) and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) may not join the cabinet on Tuesday, as the BNP has accused the government of not preventing violent incidents in the province, such as the recent firing on protesters in Chagai.

       Similarly, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has demanded immediate general elections after being annoyed over the non-fulfillment of his demands regarding distribution of ministries and some constitutional posts like the offices of the president and Senate chairman.