Nawaz Sharif ‘orders’ to keep federal cabinet small in initial phase

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif has directed his younger brother Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif to keep the federal cabinet small in the initial phase as discussions on its composition are underway, ARY News reported on Saturday, citing sources.

Sources told ARY News that the PML-N leadership, comprising Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif, engaged in a crucial meeting to review the party’s interactions with various allies and considered the names of potential cabinet members.

During the meeting, PM Shehbaz Sharif tabled the proposed names for the federal cabinet. Sources quoting Nawaz Sharif said that the PML-N supremo called for keeping the cabinet small in the initial phase.

Both leaders will finalise the cabinet members after the final consultation. Sources said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is likely to finalise his cabinet in the next 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the meeting also consulted on coalition government’s future course of action. They also reviewed matters related to upcoming Senate elections and National Assembly by-elections.

Earlier, it was reported that PM Shehbaz Sharif started consultation to finalise his cabinet, the sources said and added Ishaq Dar is among the front-runners for the Finance Ministry slot.

Allied parties’ leaders Abdul Aleem Khan (IPP), Tariq Bashir Cheema and Salik Hussain (PML-Q) are likely to be sworn in as the federal ministers in the first phase, while the names of Musadik Malik and Muhammad Aurangzeb are also under consideration.

BAP’s Khalid Magsi is also likely to get a ministry in the federal government, while Rana Sanaullah and Ahad Cheema are likely to become SAPMs, the sources said.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), another ally of the PML-N-led government, has not shown consent to joining the cabinet so far.

PM Shehbaz Sharif’s new cabinet will be sworn in after the oath of Asif Ali Zardari as president of Pakistan, the sources said.

Shehbaz Sharif comfortably won the prime minister’s election today after clinching 201 votes against his PTI-backed opponent from the Sunni Ittehdad Council (SIC) Omar Ayub Khan, who managed to secure 92 votes.