As many as 22 more federal ministers and 18 ministers of state yesterday took oath of office at the President House.

President Asif Ali Zardari administered oath to the new ministers and ministers of state in an impressive ceremony held here at Darbar Hall of the Aiwan-e-Sadr, or President House, official Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

The total strength of cabinet has reached 55 including 37 federal ministers and 18 ministers of state.

Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, Speaker of the National Assembly, Deputy Chairman of the Senate, federal ministers, parliamentarians, elite of the city and families of the new ministers also attended the ceremony.

The first batch of 24 federal ministers were sworn in at the end of March this year after Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) emerged as the two largest parties in National Assembly, lower house of the parliament.

A total of nine ministers from the PML-N in May tendered their resignations to Gilani due to difference with the PPP over the issue of some 60 judges who were sacked on Nov. 3 last year when then-President Pervez Musharraf imposed a state of emergency.