LAHORE: Following the recently concluded general election, discussions are underway on the composition of the new federal cabinet, with the possibility of a 25-member cabinet at an initial stage.
The PML-N leadership, comprising Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif, has engaged in a key meeting to review the party’s interaction with various allies and consider the names of potential cabinet members, sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune on Wednesday.
During the meeting, Shehbaz Sharif briefed his elder brother about the party’s alliances and discussed potential candidates for the federal cabinet. In the first phase, the cabinet is expected to have 25 members, with the MQM-P likely to secure three to five ministries.
Leaders from the MQM-P, including Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Farooq Sattar, Mustafa Kamal, Aminul Haque and Khawaja Izharul Hasan, are being considered for key posts in the federal cabinet, according to PML-N sources.
PML-N shortlisted 15 leaders for ministerial roles including Ishaq Dar, Ayaz Sadiq, Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Attaullah Tarar, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Riazul Haq Juj, Bilal Azhar Kayani, Dr. Raja and Rana Tanveer Hussain.
Awn Chaudry of the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) is expected to be appointed as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister.
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In earlier reports, the PML-N outlined an initial power-sharing formula for the incoming federal government. The formula suggests that if the coalition agrees to appoint a PML-N candidate as prime minister, the positions of president and chairman would go to the PPP.
On Tuesday, Shehbaz emerged as the top contender for the premiership and received support from former coalition partners, including the PPP, MQM-P, PML-Q, BAP and IPP. Nawaz Sharif strategically nominated his younger brother as Prime Minister and his daughter Maryam Nawaz as Chief Minister of Punjab.
Prominent political figures including Shehbaz, PPP’s Asif Ali Zardari, MQM-P’s Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, PML-Q’s Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Sadiq Sanjrani (representing BAP) and IPP’s Aleem Khan addressed a joint press conference in Islamabad. They expressed unequivocal support for Šehbaz and pledged to solve the country’s problems together in a coalition government.
While the details of the power-sharing formula remain undisclosed, the conference hinted at Zardari’s potential presidential bid in the near future.
