Reshuffle in Pak Cabinet amid rumours of early polls

Islamabad, Apr 25 (UNI) Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf today administered oath to the newly inducted ministers in the Cabinet amid strong rumours suggesting possibility of early elections in the country, which are otherwise scheduled for summer 2007.

Pakistani cabinet of ministers was today reshuffled with the induction of six new federal Ministers and three Deputy Ministers.

The only major change was reshuffle in Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad's portfolio, who has now been appointed as Railways Minister.

The Ministers included Senator Muhammad Ali Durrani (Information), Senator Saleem Saifullah Khan (Inter-Provincial Coordination), Senator Nilofar Bakhtiar (Tourism), Engineer Amir Muqam, Sumaira Malik (Women and Youth Affairs and Zahid Hamid (Privatisation).

The three Ministers of State included Senator Kamal Ali Agha, Khalid Ahmad Khan Lund and Prof Mushtaq Victor.

Their portfolios are to be announced later.

However, speculations of early elections in the country were also high as two Pakistani former Prime Ministers Benazir Bhutto and Mr Nawaz Sharif met in London yesterday and agreed to prepare a ''charter of democracy'' to accelarate struggle against President Musharraf.

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