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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6688
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RUEHCI/AMCONSUL CALCUTTA PRIORITY 0758
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI PRIORITY 3470
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI PRIORITY 3096

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ISLAMABAD 007505 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PK PGOV PREL IRNB
SUBJECT: CABINET RESHUFFLE BRINGS PROMOTIONS, DEMOTIONS, 
AND NEW FACES 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary. After several weeks of speculation, 
Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has selected some 
bright party stars, rewarded PML loyalists, and switched the 
portfolios of four ministers in a cabinet reshuffle on April 
¶26. Presiding over a ceremony at Aiwan-e Sadar, President 
Musharraf and Aziz swore in six new Federal Ministers and 
three new Ministers of State. In a nod to "good governance," 
Sheikh Rashid, a controversial figure at the Information 
Ministry, was switched to the Ministry of Railways, and 
low-performer Faisal Saleh Hayat was moved to the Ministry of 
Environment. Their retention in the Cabinet is out of 
political necessity; PML needs PPP-Patriots (Hayat's Party) 
and Rashid's influence in Rawalpindi in the 2007 election. 
The two new Ministries--Interprovincial Provincial Affairs 
and Political Affairs--also reflect the political needs of 
the hour: a unified strategy for dealing with deteriorating 
center-provincial relations (Inter-provincial Affairs), 
strengthening PML and building political alliances head of 
the 2007 election (Political Affairs). All of the new members 
are PML. End summary. 
 
CABINET CHANGES 
--------------- 
¶2. (SBU) Cabinet Block officially announced late Tuesday 
evening that the following changes have been made to Shaukat 
Aziz's Cabinet: 
 
Federal Ministers: 
Minister for Information              Mohammad Ali Durrani 
Minister for Railways                 Sheikh Rashid Ahmed 
Minister for Tourism                  Nilofar Bakhtiar 
Minister for Privatization            Zahid Hamid 
Minister for Youth Affairs            Sumaira Malik (also 
Advisor to the PM on Womens' Development) 
Minister for Political Affairs        Amir Muqam 
Minister for Environment              Faisal Saleh Hayat 
Minister for Kashmir Affairs          Major Tahir Iqbal 
Minister for Sports                   Shamim Haider 
Minister for Culture                  GG Jamal 
 
Minsters of State (MoS): 
MoS for Information                   Tariq Azeem Khan 
MoS for Education                     Anisa Zeb Tahir Kheli 
MoS for Minorities                    Mushtaq Victor 
MoS for Defense                       Khalid Lund 
MoS for Parliamentary Affairs         Kamal Ali Agha 
Mos for Overseas Pakistanis           Raza Hayat Hiraj 
MoS for Interior                      Zafar Warraich 
MoS for Youth Affairs                 Ghulam Bibi Bharwana 
 
BIO HIGHLIGHTS 
-------------- 
¶3. (SBU) The following is a brief sketch of the Cabinet 
members whose portfolios have been elevated, as well as the 
three new members: 
 
Muhammad Ali Durrani (Minister of Information): Durrani is an 
up-and-coming leader in PML, which he joined in 2002 after 
helping to merge the Milat Party with the ruling PML. He 
formerly served as the Secretary General of the Milat Party 
and National Party. In 2004, he was made the MoS for Youth, 
Culture, and Sports and has served as a Special Advisor to 
the Prime Minister. He is said to have the backing of ISI. He 
is a Mechanical Engineer and Educator by profession. He 
speaks fluent English, Urdu, Punjabi, Seraiki, and Pashto. 
 
Salim Saifullah Khan (Minister for Intra-Provincial Affairs): 
Saifullah was selected for his political influence not only 
in NWFP, but in Sindh and Balochistan as well. He is a 
first-term Senator (elected March 2006) but long-time 
politician. He was PML Secretary General until 2002 but lost 
position and influence in the party after the rise of 
Chaudhary Shujaat. He has served as a Federal Minister under 
PM Junejo and a Provincial Minister in NWFP. His brother 
Anwar was a long-term PPP politician. According to his 
 
ISLAMABAD 00007505  002 OF 003 
 
 
official bio, his family hails from a long line of Khans from 
Ghor, Afghanistan. He is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon 
University. 
 
Engineer Amir Muqam (Minister for Political Affairs): Muqam 
is a first-term MNA from Shangla, Swat. He comes from an 
influential family in NWFP, and has served as an informal 
advisor to the PM and President on FATA while serving as the 
Minister of State for Water and Power. Between 2001-2002, he 
served as the Union Council Nazim from Bengalin. Muqam has a 
BSC from the University of Engineering and Technology in 
Peshawar. He was born on July 25, 1963; he is married with 
four sons and two daughters. PML leaders are seeking to boost 
Muqam and the provincial NWFP PML party he heads ahead of the 
2007 elections. 
 
Sumaira Malik (Minister for Youth; Advisor on Womens' 
Development): Malik is a first-term MNA from Kushab, Punjab. 
She hails from a politically influential feudal family. Her 
uncle is former President Farooq Leghari, her brother-in-law 
is Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind, and her sister is fellow first 
term MNA Aiyla Malik. Her husband is reportedly a 
high-ranking civil servant in the influential District 
Management Group.  Sumaira served as the Minister of State 
for Tourism from 2004-2006, and is being rewarded for her 
loyalty to the party; some also say her promotion is a nod to 
Leghari, whose support PML needs in 2007. Maik was born on 
December 19, 1963. 
 
Zahid Hamid Khan (Minister for Privatization): Khan is a 
first-term PML MNA from the successful, business-oriented 
Sialkot district. He is a practicing lawyer, a former member 
of the Civil Service, and an industrialist. Hamid holds a BA 
and MA from Cambridge University, and an LLB from the 
University of Punjab. He previously served as Minister of 
State for Defense, and is being rewarded for his loyalty to 
PML during the contentious local bodies elections in Sialkot. 
 
Nilofar Bakhtiar (Minister of Tourism): Bakhtiar has served 
as the Prime Minister's Advisor on Womens' Development since 
¶2004. She has also been in charge of the Ministry of Womens 
Affairs, Social Development, and Special Education (though 
she was not officially a Minister). Bakhtiar won a Senate 
seat in March 2006. 
 
Professor Mushtaq Victor (Minister of State for Minorities): 
Victor is a first-term MNA from Sialkot and holds a seat 
reserved for minorities (he is Christian). He has previously 
served as an MPA from Punjab. During his first term as MNA, 
he was appointed the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry 
of Minority Affairs. He was a member of PPP until 2002, when 
he became politically aligned with PML.  He is a Professor of 
History, who received his MA from the University of Punjab in 
¶1972. He was born on March 20, 1942 and is married with two 
sons and two daughters. 
 
Kamil Ali Agha (Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs): 
Senator Agha is a long-time politician, who has earned the 
favor of parties across the political spectrum. He most 
recently served as the Chief Whip in the Senate, and is well 
respected for his ability to keep discussions moving civilly. 
He was first elected district Councillor in 1979, and again 
in 1990, and deputy Nazim in 1990. In 1997, he was elected to 
the National Assembly, and served as the Parliamentary 
Secretary for Foreign Affairs. In 2003, he was elected to the 
 
SIPDIS 
Senate. He is reportedly allied with the Chief Minister of 
Punjab and has been selected for his statesmanly performance 
in the Senate.  He is a lawyer by profession. 
 
Khalid Lund (Minister of State for Defense): Lund is a 
third-term MNA from Ghotki, Punjab.  Until two weeks ago, he 
was a member of the PPP-Patriots; he defected and joined PML. 
 In his first two terms as MNA, he was a member of the PPP. 
He is an agriculturalist by profession. He is being rewarded 
with the Ministerial position in return for his defection 
 
ISLAMABAD 00007505  003 OF 003 
 
 
from the Patriots. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶4. (SBU) Three of the new inductees filled slots vacated by 
the March 2006 Senate Election; the other positions were 
shuffled to punish bad performance and reward party stars and 
loyalists. Following through with his August 2004 pledge for 
good-governance, Aziz appears to be responding to PML 
Rawalpindi boss Sheikh Rashid's dismal performance as 
Minister of Information and PPP-Patriot Faisal Saleh Hayat's 
non-performance at the Ministry of Kashmir and Northern 
Areas. Their retention in the Cabinet (albeit in less 
important portfolios) is a nod to the political reality that 
both are still inflential politicians whose support PML needs 
in the 2007 elections. The creation of an Inter-Provincial 
Liaison portfolio (Saifullah) reflects the GOP's recognition 
that there needs to be a unified strategy for dealing with 
deteriorating center-provincial relations (particularly 
Balochistan and FATA). Muqam's new Ministry (Political 
Affairs) was presumably created to orchestrate party 
"understandings" for the 2007 election and give the 
non-political PM Aziz another political advisor. We expect 
that this will not be the last Cabinet reshuffle, as the 
ruling party lines up its team for the 2007 elections. End 
comment. 
BODDE