Darshan Lal becomes first Hindu minister of Pakistan in over two decades

A Hindu politician has confirmed a berth in Pakistan's cabinet for the first time in more than two decades.

News Deskbdnews24.com
Published : 5 August 2017, 09:25 PM
Updated : 6 August 2017, 07:36 PM

New Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has appointed Darshan Lal to lead coordination between four provinces of the Muslim-majority country, a government official told Reuters news agency.

Lal, a former doctor, was elected to the national assembly for the second time on ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) ticket on a reserved seat for minorities in 2013, according to British newspaper The Independent.

Late politician Rana Chandra Singh had served in the government of the Pakistan Peoples Party as a Hindu minister for the last time.

Abbasi on Friday formed the cabinet filled with allies of toppled leader Nawaz Sharif in a reshuffle that appears aimed at bolstering support ahead of general elections due in mid-2018, according to Reuters.

Ishaq Dar, a powerful finance minister, returns in the same role, despite a criminal investigation ordered against him by the Supreme Court.

Another staunch Sharif ally, Khawaja Asif, is to be Foreign Minister after having simultaneously run the ministries of defence and power, Reuters reported.

The cabinet has almost doubled in size to 47 members, sworn in during a televised ceremony after reading from the holy Koran in the mainly Muslim nation of 190 million people.

There are 28 federal ministers and 19 state ministers in the new cabinet, almost double Sharif's 25-strong cabinet when he swept the 2013 polls.

Sharif resigned last week after the Supreme Court disqualified him for not declaring a source of income he denies receiving.

But he retains control of PML-N and put forward Abbasi as temporary prime minister until his brother Shahbaz Sharif becomes eligible to take over by winning a parliamentary by-election.