Members of the new cabinet on Monday expressed high spirits and commitment to address the immense challenges facing the country and said working as a dedicated team would lead to positive results.
The freshly sworn-in ministers after the oath-taking ceremony here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr shared with APP their future agenda and steps for bringing improvement in their respective spheres.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the new foreign policy would be formulated in consultation with veteran diplomats to secure the interests of the country in a better manner.
Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak said that the main focus would be on ensuring peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan through carrying out projects in collaboration with Pakistan Army. He said that as KP had witnessed successful police reforms, similar reforms would be carried out in other domains.
Minister for Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs Asad Umar said that the matters of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and current account crises would be addressed on emergency basis besides making basic changes in structural reforms. He said that the country is facing a big financial challenge of foreign debt, which needed stringent measures.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said that his ministry had an important role in highlighting the positive image of the country at international level and added that potential of official media, including PTV, APP and PBC, would be utilised to the maximum.
Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood said that through higher education came under the purview of federal government, consultations would also be held with provinces on bringing reforms in education sector. Shafqat, who also holds the portfolio of National History and Literary Heritage Division said that efforts would be made in enrolling a large number of children to schools.
Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that his focus would be on upgradation of trains and improving railway network across the country.
Minister for Defence Production Zubaida Jalal said that she was obliged to be elected by the people of Balochistan, a province which needed major uplift and development projects. She expressed confidence that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would bring an era of prosperity. She said since her ministry was of technical nature and more related to industry and exports, the target would be to look for more international partners.
She said that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s address to the nation besides highlighting major challenges also focused on issues of marginalised segment of society including poor, women and children.
Minister for Inter-provincial Coordination Fehmida Mirza said that she would work towards creating an essence of harmony among the provinces for a better and stronger Pakistan. She said that with her experience as a former speaker, she would focus on bridging the provinces closer.
Advisor on Commerce, Textile, Industry, Production and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood said that imports had swelled enormously, which needed to be controlled. He said that progress on exports would be reviewed and the ongoing de-industrialisation would be checked.
Besides cabinet members, Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting Chairman Senator Faisal Javed, in attendance at the oath-taking ceremony, said that media needed a revamp in the best interest of Pakistan and also with an objective to project the country’s original narrative. He said that the PTI government was not in favour of political interference in the institutions of state media, which were doing well in its domains.
