Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s newly formed government has distributed ministerial portfolios among its eight-member cabinet, marking a shift from political formation to day‑to‑day governance. The move comes after the ministers took their oaths on Friday under the Pakistan Muslim League‑Nawaz (PML‑N) administration led by Prime Minister Iftikhar Gilani, according to The Express Tribune.
According to an official notification from the Services and General Administration Department, Sardar Mir Akbar will oversee Physical Planning and Housing, while retired Colonel Waqar Ahmed Noor has been given Forests and Fisheries. Engineer Umair Naeem is responsible for School Education; Azhar Sadiq for Colleges and Higher Education; and Abdul Rehman Arain for Tourism, Industries and Mineral Resources. Raja Saqib Majeed will handle Energy and Water Resources; Raja Riasat, Rehabilitation and Revenue; and Dr Mustafa Bashir Abbasi, Health.
Prime Minister Gilani has kept several key departments under his direct control for now, including Law, Finance, Planning and Development, Local Government, Communications and Works, Information, Agriculture and Home Affairs. Officials say this temporary arrangement will remain until elections are completed for seven seats in the Poonch Division, after which the cabinet may be expanded.
The ministers are expected to take charge of their departments immediately, review ongoing projects and meet senior officials to assess administrative challenges and public service delivery. Government statements emphasize improving efficiency, speeding up decision‑making and providing relief to residents across AJK. All eight cabinet members have pledged to work within the framework of the Constitution and local laws to strengthen their departments.
Analysts describe the portfolio allocation as a necessary step to make the administration fully functional, allowing it to focus on governance rather than political transitions. The size and composition of the cabinet could be revisited once the remaining electoral process in the Poonch Division concludes.
