Two more civilian faces in Pak. Government

By Our Special Correspondent

ISLAMABAD, NOV. 28 Two more civilian faces have been added to the military Government headed by Gen. Pervez Musharraf. The President, Mr. Rafiq Tarar, administered the oath of office and secrecy to Ms. Shahida Jameel, and Mr. Saleem Altaf at a function here today. Indications are Ms. Jameel, Law Minister in the Sindh Cabinet, is expected to take over the Law portfolio in place of Mr. Aziz A. Munshi, who is also the Attorney-General of Pakistan. Mr. Saleem Altaf, chairman, Privatisation Commission, is the other new Minister. It is not clear if he would be assigned any portfolio or continue to preside over the Privatisation Commission.

By inducting the two Ministers into his Cabinet, Gen. Musharraf has sought to send out clear signals that his Government intended to carry on till at least October 2002, the deadline set by the Supreme Court for return of democracy. Ever since the high- profile Information Minister, Mr. Javed Jabbar, quit the Musharraf Government in the middle of October, there had been speculations in the media of a possible major Cabinet reshuffle. Today's minor expansion should put an end to them.

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Section  : International
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