F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was sworn in as the 37th foreign minister of the country on Wednesday, becoming the latest member of the federal cabinet.
A serious-looking President Arif Alvi administered the oath to Bilawal Bhutto at an impressive ceremony at Aiwan-i-Sadr attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif witnessed the oath-taking ceremony which was also attended by former president Asif Ali Zardari, ex-prime ministers Yousuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, and a large number of parliamentarians, party workers, and government officials.
The close family members of Bilawal Bhutto including his sister Aseefa Bhutto and maternal aunt Sanam Bhutto – the sister of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, also attended the ceremony.
After the oath-taking, Bilawal Bhutto shook hands with President Alvi and embraced Prime Minister Shehbaz. There were also visible smiles on the faces of Asif Zardari, Aseef, Sanam Bhutto, and others.
Bilawal Bhutto joined the cabinet in the third phase of its formation as the earlier swearing-in ceremonies were taken place on April 19 and April 22.
The new cabinet reflects the political mix of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Pakistan Muslim League-Q and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
Bilawal Bhutto has become the youngest foreign minister of Pakistan. He also became chairman of PPP at the age of 19 three days after her mother Benazir Bhutto’s martyrdom.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari took the oath as foreign minister after the approval of the PPP’s central executive committee (CEC) meeting the other day.
He will leave tomorrow with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on his first visit to Saudi Arabia as foreign minister.
