Bilawal Bhutto takes oath as Federal Minister

Islamabad: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Wednesday took oath as Foreign Minister (FM) of Pakistan. 

President Dr. Arif Alvi administered the oath. 

The oath-taking ceremony, at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, was witnessed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and was 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. 

Bilawal  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. Previously the PPP chairman was unable to join the cabinet giving rise to speculations of a rift between the united opposition. 

However, according to sources privy to the matter, Bilawal had refused to take up a position within the federal cabinet before the inclusion of the members of other coalition partners, including Mohsin Dawar, in the first phase of the induction.