Pakistani President swears in new cabinet ministers

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari swore in 40 new cabinet members today, many of them to replace members of the country’s second biggest party that pulled out of the coalition government in August.

The new ministers were not immediately assigned portfolios but there was not expected to be any major changes at main ministries such as finance, foreign affairs and the interior.

Of the new cabinet members, 22 will be ministers while 18 will be deputy ministers, or ministers of state. Most are members of Mr Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

The Finance Ministry is likely to remain under the control of former banker Shaukat Tarin, who last month was appointed the prime minister’s top economic adviser.

Because he is not a member of Parliament, Mr Tarin can not be appointed a minister.

Mr Tarin is in the midst of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund to avert a balance-of-payments crisis.

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif pulled his party members out of the cabinet in May over a dispute with Mr Zardari over how to handle a long-running judicial dispute. Sharif finally pulled his party out of the coalition in August.

Mr Zardari is the widower of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto who was assassinated in a suicide attack in December last year.

Their PPP won a February general election but without enough seats to rule alone. Several small parties have joined the PPP in a coalition government.