Just a few hours before the presentation of federal budget for 2018-19, President Mamnoon Hussain on the recommendation of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi administered the oath of federal finance minister to Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance, Revenue and Economic Reforms Miftah Ismail during a ceremony at the Presidency.
Cabinet members, party workers and senior officials were present during the ceremony. The elevation was made under Articles 91 (9) and 92 (1) of the Constitution.
Article 91 (9) states, "A Minister who for any period of six consecutive months is not a member of National Assembly shall, at the expiration of that period, cease to be a Minister and shall not before the dissolution of that Assembly be again appointed a Minister unless he is elected a member of that Assembly.
"Provided that nothing in this clause shall apply to a Minister who is a member of the Senate," it added.
Article 92 (1) says that "Subject to clauses 204[(9) and (10)] 204 of Article 91, the President shall appoint Federal Ministers and Ministers of State from amongst the members of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) on the advice of the Prime Minister."
"Provided that the number of Federal Ministers and Ministers of State who are members of the Senate shall not at any time exceed one-fourth of the number of Federal Ministers 205.
"Provided further that the total strength of the Cabinet, including Ministers of State, shall not exceed eleven percent of the total membership of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament): Provided also that the aforesaid amendment shall be effective from the next general election held after the commencement of the Constitution (Eighteenth Amendment) Act, 2010," it added.
The elevation enabled Ismail to present the sixth and last budget of the tenure of the National Assembly on Friday.
In December last year, the federal government appointed Ismail as the adviser to the prime minister on finance, revenue and economic affairs with the status of federal minister.
Prior to that, Ismail was the special assistant to the prime minister on economic affairs. At the time, Senator Ishaq Dar was holding the reins of the Finance Ministry.
Ismail is a political economist, holds a PhD from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.