Bilawal Bhutto inducted in Pak Cabinet, likely to be next foreign minister

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari took oath on Wednesday as the federal minister of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif's cabinet. He is likely to be given the portfolio of the foreign ministry.

President Arif Alvi administered the oath to Bilawal. The oath-taking ceremony was held at Aiwan-i-Sadr, Geo tv reported.

Bilawal was first elected to the National Assembly in 2018. This is the first time he will be serving as a member of the federal cabinet, as per media reports.

Former president Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal's sister Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari were also present at the Aiwan-e-Sadr to see Bilawal take the oath.

Federal Ministers, including Rana Sanaullah, Naveed Qamar, Khurshid Shah, Sherry Rehman, and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, also attended the ceremony, the Geo tv reported.

Taking to Twitter, Bilawal's sister Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari congratulated him earlier in the day for taking the oath as the country's federal minister.

"Today Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will take oath as Pakistan's Foreign Minister in this unity government -- decided by (the) PPP CEC (central executive committee) and we couldn't be more proud of him! Already outshone in parliament and always stuck to his democratic values -- excited to witness this path if God wills," she tweeted.

Earlier, there was speculation that PPP is seeking more stake in the government but the sources confirmed that Bilawal and Nawaz did not discuss anything related to the posts of Senate, Governor Punjab or Presidency, according to Geo TV.

Earlier, on Friday, Pakistan President Arif Alvi administered the oath to three new federal ministers and one minister of state for the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's cabinet at the Aiwan-i-Sadr in Islamabad.

On Tuesday, 33 lawmakers were inducted into the new PM's cabinet after they were sworn in by Acting President Sadiq Sanjrani in the absence of the president, who had earlier refused to administer the oath to the lawmakers.

Although the oath was taken by 33 lawmakers, a notification issued by the country's Cabinet Division carried the names of 26 federal ministers and two ministers of state, Dawn newspaper reported.

( With inputs from ANI )

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