PML-N, PPP yet to reconcile differences over federal cabinet

ISLAMABAD: The new coalition set up led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has yet failed to iron out differences with regard to the federal cabinet, ARY News reported on Sunday.

Even Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has been divided over joining the federal cabinet or not, sources said.

According to sources, former president Asif Ali Zardari has been against the People’s Party’s joining the cabinet of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. However, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari supporting to become part of federal cabinet.

The PPP and PML-N, two major parties in the alliance, have differences over distribution of the constitutional offices, according to sources.

People’s Party sources said that the PML-N have rigid stance over the ministries. “The PPP wants ministries of its choice and constitutional offices in the new government,” party sources said. The PML-N, however, avoiding to give the PPP the portfolios it wants, sources further said.

People’s Party also wants its man as the Chairman of the Senate, but the PML-N has not yet promised to give the top office of the upper house to the coalition partner, according to sources.

Earlier, their were reports that the PPP had decided to become part of the federal cabinet after talks with the PML-N.

Presently Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has been elected the Speaker of the National Assembly.

Despite multiple meetings between PPP and PML-N, the new coalition set up failed to iron out differences over the formation of federal cabinet.