ISLAMABAD, June 7: The process of transfer of power from one civilian government to another was completed on Friday with President Asif Ali Zardari swearing in the cabinet of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The 25-member cabinet — 16 ministers and nine ministers of state — has mostly the old guard and a few new faces.

The president administered the oath at a ceremony held at the Presidency. Besides Mr Sharif, it was attended by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, the services chiefs, parliamentarians, diplomats and senior bureaucrats.

In the oath, the ministers pledged to discharge their duty honestly to the best of their ability in accordance with the constitution.

The cabinet division issued a notification on late Friday night about portfolios of the ministers and advisers to the prime minister.

According to sources, the ministries of defence and foreign affairs will work under the direct supervision of the prime minister.

Most of the new ministers are Sharif loyalists and have been with him in his previous government which was overthrown by then army chief retired Gen Pervez Musharraf in 1999.

Not a single PML-N woman leader has been made a federal minister; two women are in the cabinet as ministers of state.

Talking to reporters after taking oath, Chaudhry Nisar said the federal government would provide assistance to provinces in intelligence sharing and matters of security. “Such support will be across-the-board where and when required.”

He said a framework on law and order would be devised after a meeting on Monday, adding that Islamabad would be brought under an effective surveillance network.

Pervez Rashid said the government would not conceal facts from the masses, adding that secret funds of the information ministry would not be used for personal or political gains. “Not a single rupee of the secret fund was used in Punjab over the past five years.”

Answering a question about governance, he said the heads of public sector corporations would be appointed through a transparent process and strictly on merit.

Federal MinistersNames Portfolios

Ishaq Dar Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs Division and StatisticsChaudhry Nisar Ali Khan Interior and NarcoticsKhawaja Asif Water and PowerShahid Khaqan Abbasi Petroleum and Natural ResourcesPervez Rashid Information, Broadcasting and National HeritageAbdul Qadir Baloch States and Frontier RegionsZahid Hamid Law and JusticeRana Tanveer Defence ProductionSardar Yousuf Religious AffairsGhulam Murtaza Jatoi Industries and ProductionSikander Bosan Food Security and Research

Chaudhry Birjees Tahir Kashmir Affairs andGilgit-BaltistanKhawaja Saad Rafique Railways

Pir Sadaruddin Rashidi Human Resource Development and Overseas PakistanisKamran Michael Ports and ShippingAhsan Iqbal Planning and Development.

Ministers of State

Mian Balighur Rehman EducationUsman Ibrahim Housing and WorksKhurram Dastagir Science and Technology

Jam Kamal Petroleum and Natural ResourcesSheikh Aftab Ahmed Parliamentary AffairsAbdul Hakeem Baloch Railways

Saira Afzal Tarar Health Sciences Regulation and Coordination

Anoushe Rehman Information Technology and TelecomPir M. Amirul Hasnat Religious Affairs

Advisers to the PM

Sartaj Aziz National Security and Foreign AffairsCapt (retd) Shujaat Azeem Aviation

Special assistants to the PMTariq Fatimi and Sanaullah Zehri