16 ministers from PM Imran Khan's cabinet sworn-in

Islamabad: Sixteen members of newly-elected Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's 21-strong cabinet took oath at a ceremony held on Monday at the President House here.

President Mamnoon Hussain administered the oath to the nominated federal ministers, reports Dawn news.

The new cabinet comprises 16 federal ministers and five advisers.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) vice chairman Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi will be the country's new foreign minister, a position which he previously held between 2008-13 under then President Asif Zardari and former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

Qureshi had resigned from the cabinet after developing differences with the party leadership during a reshuffle in the cabinet.

Asad Umar has been made Minister for Finance and Revenue whereas the portfolio of the Information and Broadcasting has been given to PTI's information secretary Fawad Chaudhry.

Ghulam Sarwar Khan, who defeated Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) estranged leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in the July 25 elections in two constituencies, has been allocated the portfolio of Petroleum Ministry.

Shireen Mazari has been given the portfolio of human rights, whereas former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak is the country's new Defence Minister.

Meanwhile, the new Prime Minister has retained the vast interior portfolio, for at least the time being.

Khan was sworn-in as Pakistan's 22nd Prime Minister on Saturday, in a ceremony marking the second peaceful democratic transition from one civilian government to another in the country's 71-year history.