Three ministers in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) have been given additional portfolios as part of a fresh allocation of ministerial responsibilities.
According to a notification issued by the Services and General Administration Department, Health Minister Dr Mustafa Bashir Abbasi has also been assigned the Population Welfare portfolio.
Chaudhry Abdul Rehman Arain, who currently holds the Tourism, Industries, Labour and Mineral Resources portfolios, has additionally been given responsibility for Sports, Youth and Culture.
Raja Mohammad Riasat, who oversees Revenue and Rehabilitation, has also been assigned the Board of Revenue portfolio.
Despite the latest allocations, the AJK prime minister continues to hold several important portfolios, including Local Government and Rural Development, Communications and Works, Finance and Inland Revenue, Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, Information and Information Technology, Planning and Development, and Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.
Officials said the remaining portfolios could be assigned to new ministers following a possible expansion of the cabinet. The expansion could take place either before or after elections for seven vacant seats in the Poonch and Sudhnoti districts.
The seven seats remained uncontested in the recent AJK general elections due to law and order concerns.
