ISLAMABAD - With induction of three federal ministers and a state minister, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and FATA would get the long-awaited representation in the federal cabinet.
President Mamnoon Hussain administered the oath to the new ministers.
JUI-F central leader Senator Abdul Ghafoor Haideri was inducted as the state minister, and JUI-F leader and former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Mohammad Akram Khan Durrani, Abbass Khan Aafridi from FATA and PML-N’s Engineer Khurram Dastagir as federal ministers.
The representation of JUI-F and FATA in the cabinet has increased its strength to 37.
The portfolios for the new ministers were not announced, but sources said PML-N leader Dastagir had been made federal minister for commerce. They said soon after taking the oath of his new assignment, Dastagir flew to India where he would be meeting his counterpart on Friday.
Sources in PML-N government said that there was a tremendous pressure from JUI-F leadership for induction of their members in the cabinet.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had, in a meeting, agreed on one federal and one state minister from JUI-F.
Sources further said JUI-F wanted the portfolio for Housing Ministry, but Premier Sharif did not make any commitment. They however added a decision to this effect was likely in the next couple of days.
Similarly with induction of Abbas Khan Aafridi, FATA members in Parliament got representation in the federal cabinet.