Pakistan swears in newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's 19-member Cabinet
The 19-member Cabinet of Pakistan’s newly elected Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has been sworn into office
ISLAMABAD (AP) — The 19-member Cabinet of Pakistan’s newly elected Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif was sworn into office on Monday and held its first meeting. The prime minister appointed several top government posts and promised to tackle the country's unrelenting economic crisis.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari administered the oath of office to the ministers at the presidential office in the capital of Islamabad, with Sharif in attendance. Sharif was elected as prime minister by the parliament on Sunday, a month after parliamentary elections and after his Pakistan Muslim League-N party formed a coalition with several allies.
Sharif held the same position from April 2022 to August 2023, when he replaced archrival Imran Khan, a former cricket star turned Islamist politician who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly.
Sharif's new government faces daunting challenges, including an unprecedented economic crisis, regular power cuts, near-daily militant attacks and a challenging relationship with neighboring Taliban-run Afghanistan.
