–Lt Gen (r) Khalid Lodhi and businessman Mian Misbahur Rehman administered oath by President Mamnoon
ISLAMABAD: Interim Prime Minister Justice (r) Nasirul Mulk on Wednesday expanded his cabinet as two new caretaker ministers took oath of their offices from President Mamnoon Hussain.
Lt General (r) Khalid Naeem Lodhi and Mian Misbahur Rehman took oath in the ceremony held at President’s House.
Gen Lodhi is a former defence secretary whereas Rehman is a well-known businessmen and former chairman of the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd (SNGPL).
Interim PM Mulk, members of the federal cabinet and other senior officials attended the ceremony.
Earlier this month, a six-member caretaker federal cabinet was sworn in. The caretaker cabinet includes State Bank of Pakistan’s former governor Dr Shamshad Akhtar, Roshan Khurshid, Barrister Ali Zafar, former ambassador to the United Nations Abdullah Hussain Haroon, Azam Khan and Muhammad Yusuf Shaikh.
Lodhi, whose last army assignment was head of the Bahawalpur Corps, retired in March 2011. Later that year, he was appointed defence secretary.
Believed to be a confidant of then army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Gen Lodhi was sacked by then PM Yousaf Raza Gillani 2012 amid tension between the civilian government and military leadership over the Memogate scandal.
At that time, the Prime Minister’s Office had issued a statement saying that “Lodhi was dismissed for gross misconduct and illegal action… and for creating misunderstanding between institutions.”
Mian Misbahur Rehman is a prominent personality among business circles. He also serves as director of SNGPL, where he also used to hold the post of chairman.
He remained chairman of the Lahore Gymkhana Club, the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, president of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry and member of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry managing committee.
He is also a member of the governing body of the Workers’ Welfare Fund of the Ministry of Labour and Manpower.