Finally, the Hindu minority community of Pakistan gets its representative in the cabinet after a long wait of 20 years as Shahid Khaqan Abbasi who replaced Nawaz Sharif as the Prime Minister of the neighbouring country formulated his cabinet on Friday which includes Darshan Lal as one of the members.
The 65 year old Lal, who was elected to the national assembly for the second time in 2013 on ticket of Pakistan Muslim League (N) under the minority quota, used to be a practising doctor in Ghotki district’s Mirpur Mathelo town in Sindh province.
According to an official, Lal has been appointed by Abbasi to lead the coordination between 4 provinces of Pakistan. The decision was made when Abbasi formed the cabinet with the aides and allies of Nawaz Sharif which is being seen as an extremely well crafted strategic move to strengthen the hold of the ruling PML (N)’s hold in the national politics before the upcoming 2018 general elections.
47 cabinet ministers were sworn in by President Mamnoon Hussain which included 28 federal and 19 state ministers.
The massive change in Pakistan politics also ensured that the new cabinet includes a foreign minister. Khawaja Muhammad Asif who previously held the portfolio of defence and power is the new foreign minister of Pakistan. Since Sharif became the PM of Pakistan, there was no foreign minister. The last foreign minister was Hina Rabbani Khar.
The major “reshuffle” in Pak politics happened last week as the Supreme Court of the country ordered disqualification of Nawaz Sharif over Panama Papers leaks.
