ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has finalized a ‘lean cabinet’ which will be sworn in on Monday (today) to begin work on the tasks outlined in the first 100-day program.
Two key PML-N leaders confirmed to The Express Tribune that the prime minister had finalized his team. They disclosed that the names of these ministers along with their portfolios will be revealed on Monday. “The names will be announced tomorrow [March 11]; just a few hours left,” one of them said.
They clarified that the Prime Minister has opted for a compact federal cabinet this time and believes that the portfolios should be entrusted to individuals who are capable of conscientiously working, delivering, and leading the country out of multifaceted crises.
During his 16-month tenure as Prime Minister between April 2022 and August 2023, Shehbaz had an oversized federal cabinet, drawing widespread criticism, with some describing it as a financial burden on taxpayers amid economic problems.
PML-N sources revealed that in the initial phase, Prime Minister Shehbaz intends to appoint only a select few “competent individuals” as ministers to oversee key ministries.
They hinted that more inductions may follow later, with members from MQM-P, PMLQ, and IPP eyeing cabinet berths.
The PPP has already declared that it will abstain from joining the upcoming federal cabinet.
However, Prime Minister Shehbaz once again invited the party leadership to become a member of the cabinet. “The PPP has politely declined the offer but will continue to provide input on policy formulation,” one of the sources revealed.
Some PML-N leaders, potentially cabinet members, emphasized the party’s focus on fulfilling the tasks outlined for the first 100 days.
Their goal is to solve economic challenges, attract investments, limit inflation, and ensure optimal use of time. “Government, economic revitalization, national security, agriculture and climate change remain paramount,” one source confirmed.
“In addition, commitments related to education, health, employment and the party’s program statement will be fulfilled,” the source added. The PML-N manifesto also pledges to abolish the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and restore Articles 62 and 63 to their original form.
In background discussions, some PML-N leaders hinted at privatization of non-performing entities and emphasized the urgency of the matter.
They also stressed the need to renegotiate a new agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to address lingering economic problems.
Sources said the initial cabinet is expected to include just over a dozen ministers. In the first phase, portfolios such as finance, foreign affairs, energy, planning, interior, information and privatization will be assigned.
In addition, federal ministers may be assigned additional portfolios to maintain a lean cabinet size. Expected inclusions in the federal cabinet include Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Attaullah Tarar and banker Muhammad Aurangzeb.
The newly formed federal cabinet will be sworn in by President-elect Asif Ali Zardari, who himself was sworn in on Sunday.
The duo of Prime Minister Shehbaz and President Zardari, returning to their previous roles, represent the new face of the coalition government, seemingly poised for stability.
Previously, Prime Minister Shehbaz led a coalition government after the ouster of the PTI-led federal government, while Zardari completed his first five-year term as the President of Pakistan in 2013.
