Federal cabinet: New government shortlists names for ministries

ISLAMABAD: For the constitution of the federal cabinet, the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) government has shortlisted names for ministries in an iftar dinner hosted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif today, ARY News reported.

Sources told ARY News that several names from the coalition parties have been shortlisted for the ministries of the PML-N government.

Rana Sanaullah has been recommended for the position of the law minister and Ahsan Iqbal for the Minister of Interior, Ayaz Sadiq IT ministry, Khawaja Asif as defence minister, Rana Tanveer Hussain as defence production minister, Marriyum Aurangzeb as information minister, whereas, Miftah Ismail is likely to be appointed as the finance adviser.

Barjees Tahir, Khawaja Saad Rafique, PPP’s Khursheed Shah and Naveed Qamar are also expected to be given different ministries in the PML-N government. It has been recommended to appoint Maulana Asad Mahmood of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) as the religious affairs minister.

READ: PPP AGREES TO BECOME PART OF FEDERAL CABINET

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is likely to get the foreign ministry. Sources said that the PML-N government will consider the names of Sherry Rehman and Hina Rabbani Khar for the position of the foreign minister if PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari rejects to assume the position.

Sherry Rehman was also shortlisted for the ambassador’s slot in the United States (US).

The coalition parties of the PML-N led federal government held consultations regarding the federal cabinet during an iftar dinner party hosted by PM Shehbaz Sharif today.

NA speaker, Punjab governor

Earlier in the day, it emerged that PPP leaders Raja Parvez Ashraf and Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood are about to become the next National Assembly Speaker and Governor Punjab respectively.

READ: PPP, PML-N AGREE TO SEAT ADJUSTMENT FORMULA FOR NEXT ELECTIONS

The development regarding the NA Speaker position comes after Bilawal Bhutto Zardari-led PPP had asked Shehbaz Sharif’s led coalition government during consultation for federal cabinet formation.

Raja Parvez Ashraf was elected as the Speaker of the National Assembly unopposed. No other candidate had filed the no nomination papers till the deadline of April 15 ended.

His name for the coveted position was suggested by Syed Khursheed Shah and endorsed by former finance minister Naveed Qamar.

The seat fell vacant after Speaker of National Assembly Asad Qaiser resigned minutes before voting on the no-confidence motion against former prime minister Imran Khan.