Pakistan's caretaker PM Mir HazarKhan Khoso names 15-member cabinet

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Mir HazarKhan Khoso has named a 15-member cabinet though portfolios are yet to be allocated to the candidates drawn from all four provinces of the country.

Seven members of the cabinet are from the most populous province of Punjab, three each from Sindh and Balochistan and two from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

They are expected to be sworn in by President Asif Ali Zardari later today.

Most members of the cabinet are little known personalities though some are experts in their respective fields.

Some reports suggested the members are all people the 84-year-old Khoso knows personally or has worked with in the past.

Senior journalist Arif Nizami, the publisher of the Pakistan Today daily, was among the 15 members, triggering speculation that he would be appointed the caretaker Information Minister.

Ahmer Bilal Soofi, an expert on international law who has advised the Pakistan government on matters like the Mumbai attacks, is expected to be made Law Minister.

According to a statement from the premier's office, the members of the cabinet are Malik Habib, Mushtaq Khan, Ahmer Bilal Soofi, Musaddaq Malik, Arif Nizami, Shahzada Ahsan Ashraf and Shahzada Jamal from Punjab; Sohail Wajahat Siddique, Maqbool H H Rahmatoola and Younis Soomro from Sindh; Abdul Malik Kasi, Asadullah Mandokhel and Mir Hassan Dhomki from Balochistan and Sania Nishtar and Feroze Jamal Shah Kakakhel from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Khoso had taken oath of office on March 25 and had been busy since then consulting political leaders and other stakeholders on the formation of his cabinet that will serve till the general election on May 11.