Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday appointed Former Governor State Bank Tariq Bajwa as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) for finance. Tariq Bajwa’s position would be equivalent to Minister of State. The total number of SAPMs has spiked to 29, taking the total volume of the federal cabinet to 75. The federal cabinet includes 29 SAPMs, 35 ministers, seven ministers of state and four advisors. However, 23 of the 29 SAPMs, including Miftha Ismail and Mian Javed Latif, have not been assigned any portfolios. Earlier on September 28, the PML-N-led coalition government’s federal cabinet swelled to 73 members after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appointed one more special assistant. According to the notification, the prime minister appointed Irfan Qadir as SAPM. With the latest addition, the cabinet swelled to whopping 73 members. Moreover, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appointed eight special assistants, including Raza Rabbani, Irshad Ahmed Khan, Faisal Karim Kundi, Mahesh Kumar Malani, Faisal Karim Kundi, Sardar Salim Haider, Tasneem Ahmed Qureshi and Muhammad Ali Shah Bacha in September.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP