ISLAMABAD: Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, Roshan Khurshid, Barrister Ali Zafar, former envoy to UN Abdullah Hussain Haroon, Azam Khan and Muhammad Yousaf Sheikh were sworn in as members of caretaker Federal Cabinet at a ceremony held here at the President House today.
President Mamnoon Hussain administered the oath to the newly inducted members of the cabinet. The ceremony was attended by the prime minister and others. The caretaker cabinet will serve until a new government is elected by means of polls scheduled to be held on 25th of July, 2018.
Portfolios:
1) Former envoy to UN Abdullah Hussain Haroon: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Security Division. Additional: Ministry of Defense and Production.
2) Former Chief Secretary KPK Muhammad Azam Khan: Ministry of Interior, Capital Administration and Development Division and Ministry of Narcotics Control. Additional: Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination.
3) Former governor State Bank of Pakistan Dr. Shamshad Akhtar: Ministry of Finance, Revenue, and Economic Affairs. Ministry of Statistics. Ministry of Planning, Development, and Reform. Additional: Ministry of Commerce and Textile, Ministry of Industries and Production.
4) Barrister Syed Ali Zafar: Ministry of Law and Justice, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, and Ministry of Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage.
5) Entrepreneur Muhammad Yusuf Shaikh: Federal Minister of Education and Professional Training. Additional: Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination. Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony.
6) Former senator Roshan Khursheed Bharucha: Ministry of Human Rights, Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan and Ministry of States and Frontier Regions.
Relevant pieces published earlier: i) Spokesman to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Nadeem Qasim Monday said that ECP was fully prepared to hold general election in the country as all-out measures have been taken in that regard. Talking to a private news channel, he said the ECP had completed its work simultaneously on delimitations after census and preparations for conducting the elections. He said training of elections staff which includes Returning officers and Presiding officers was being completed as part of elections preparations.
To a question regarding expenditures by contesting candidates, Nadeem Qasim told that a new election act has been passed under which, statement of expenditures would be scrutinized thoroughly. A separate bank account would be required and all the transactions for elections expenses would be made through that account by the candidate, he added. He further said that action would be initiated by the ECP in case of the candidate found guilty of acceding fixed limit.
To another query, the spokesman said that a monitoring wing would be set-up by the ECP and monitoring officers would be deputed at every constituency who would monitor election activities and in case of any violation of the code of conduct, action would be taken. Nadeem Qasim said that ECP has to work according to the constitution and the new election act was passed after thorough work by electoral reforms committee of the Parliament. (29th of May, 2018).
ii) The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) today handed over a draft list of polling stations to all returning officers (ROs). According to ECP, these ROs will further check these lists and after necessary changes, if required they will release the preliminary list. On which the concerned voters of relevant polling stations will submit their objections and suggestions to the district returning officers (DROs). Under the law, the DROs will make decisions on these objections and later they will issue the final list of polling stations.
It is pertinent to mention here that the ECP has placed the draft list of polling stations on its website in order to make the process more transparent. The commission has requested all political parties and the general public to check the draft list of polling stations. It also asked to share necessary suggestions with the concerned ROs so that the voters can cast their vote at the time of polling without any hurdle. (24th of May, 2018)
iii) Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) has stated here on Friday that the next general elections of 2018 would be held as per schedule. He was talking to the Media after inaugurating facilitating center at NADRA office here today. CEC said that votes would be listed according to the Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) issued. The official also specified the day as a memorable moment in country’s history in the backdrop of execution of new voter registration system. NADRA Chairman was also present on the occasion who said that NADRA had reached another milestone as a big obstacle in way of vote registration had been overcome.
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has transferred and posted 86 grade 17 and 18 officers serving as district & regional election commissioners and deputy directors [Islamabad (9); Punjab (26); Sindh (13); KP (14); Baluchistan (23)] by means of a notification issued today. According to details, Muhammad Nadeem Zubair will now be the Regional Election Commissioner Multan and Farid Afridi will serve as Election Commissioner Lahore.
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