PML-N fails to settle on cabinet picks
Khaqan confers with Nawaz on make-up of his team
PM Abbasi meets Nawa Sharif. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
The anxiously awaited oath-taking ceremony of the upcoming federal cabinet saw an unexpected postponement on Wednesday after the ruling PML-N’s top leaders could not finalise the candidates to be inducted as cabinet members.
The oath-taking ceremony was scheduled at the President House on Wednesday evening at 1830 hours. However, by midday the Presidency announced postponement of the event.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who took oath of his office after securing 221 votes in a parliamentary vote on Tuesday, met the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Murree for consultations on the issue. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was also present in the meeting.
Talking to media later, the prime minister said consultations over formation of federal cabinet were in progress and the cabinet members would take oath within two days. “Allocation of portfolios to the federal cabinet members will be done once the consultation process is over,” he said.
To a question, he said the PML-N leadership also discussed the party's affairs as well as the upcoming by-election at the NA-120 seat that fell vacant on July 28 after the Supreme Court disqualified the former PM Nawaz Sharif.
The PML-N’s parliamentary party had named Nawaz's younger brother, Shehbaz Sharif, as his successor, but the Punjab chief minister must first enter parliament by contesting the by-poll for the seat scheduled for September 17.
Abbasi expressed confidence that people would get the PML-N’s candidate elected with heavy mandate. “The people will massively support the PML-N in other political phases as well,” he claimed.
To another query, he said former PM Nawaz Sharif also congratulated the PML-N parliamentary body for the continuity of democracy and the system.
“The former PM desires that the PML-N government policies with regard to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), energy, motorways, dams, investment and other development projects should continue,” he said.
“Nawaz Sharif is of the view that work on these projects should rather be expedited, to show the world that a prime minister could be changed but the policies could not be altered,” Abbasi added.
On former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan’s inclusion in the cabinet, Abbasi said consultations were under way. “Who joins the cabinet is something that you’ll get to know soon,” Abbasi told reporters. “In any case, I’ll be part of the cabinet,” the PM said in a lighter vein.
According to sources privy to the consultations, the new cabinet is not likely to see major changes. However, the PML-N leadership has not developed consensus on rejoining of certain candidates.
Abbasi likely to retain Nawaz’s ministers
Sources said Shehbaz is not in favour of inducting former finance minister Ishaq Dar in Abbasi’s cabinet and wants to bring Punjab Finance Minister Ayesha Ghaus-Pasha from Punjab to the centre.
Shehbaz needs to get elected from a National Assembly constituency and vacate his provincial portfolio in order to become eligible to contest the election for the PM, yet he wants to place his confidantes in the federal cabinet before his arrival to get familiar with the related issues, they said.
Punjab CM is of the view that Dar is facing a reference related to Panamagate in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) which implies that his future as finance minister is marked with uncertainty and depends on the outcome of the related investigations mandated by the Supreme Court.
However, a source said, Nawaz is in favour of Dar’s re-induction and is not much concerned about NAB’s reference. Sharif and other family members are also facing similar references in NAB moved on the directions of the top court.
Some reports in the ruling camp suggest that former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan is not willing to rejoin the federal cabinet under Abbasi’s command. The names of Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch and Ahsan Iqbal are being considered for the position of Interior Minister, a source said.
Nisar is said to be willing to be part of the cabinet as foreign minister once Shehbaz takes over. However, Nawaz is not favouring Nisar’s elevation as foreign minister. Moreover, Shehbaz, who is said to be not on good terms with Khawaja Asif, does not want him in the cabinet.
Reportedly, he wants Abbasi to keep the charge of Water and Power Ministry with himself and appoint a Defence Minister, a portfolio previously kept by Asif who is regarded as one of the most trusted aides of Nawaz. The former PM does not want to see Asif being cornered, the insiders said.
Some reports also suggest that Shehbaz is under pressure from PML-N Punjab chapter not to take up the prime ministerial portfolio given that Punjab is the PML-N’s power bastion and ‘real electoral battle’ in Punjab would determine the future of any political party in the general elections scheduled next year.
However, sources in PML-N Punjab chapter argue that the younger Sharif is too authoritative to be pressurised into doing anything against his will and he wants to get elevated as the PM.
The 43-member cabinet of former PM Nawaz Sharif included twenty federal ministers, nine ministers of state, five advisers and nine special assistants to the prime minister.
Earlier, Abbasi formally started working as prime minister and was briefed by the senior officials of the PM office. He also gave necessary directions, according to APP.
The anxiously awaited oath-taking ceremony of the upcoming federal cabinet saw an unexpected postponement on Wednesday after the ruling PML-N’s top leaders could not finalise the candidates to be inducted as cabinet members.
The oath-taking ceremony was scheduled at the President House on Wednesday evening at 1830 hours. However, by midday the Presidency announced postponement of the event.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who took oath of his office after securing 221 votes in a parliamentary vote on Tuesday, met the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Murree for consultations on the issue. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was also present in the meeting.
Talking to media later, the prime minister said consultations over formation of federal cabinet were in progress and the cabinet members would take oath within two days. “Allocation of portfolios to the federal cabinet members will be done once the consultation process is over,” he said.
To a question, he said the PML-N leadership also discussed the party's affairs as well as the upcoming by-election at the NA-120 seat that fell vacant on July 28 after the Supreme Court disqualified the former PM Nawaz Sharif.
The PML-N’s parliamentary party had named Nawaz's younger brother, Shehbaz Sharif, as his successor, but the Punjab chief minister must first enter parliament by contesting the by-poll for the seat scheduled for September 17.
Abbasi expressed confidence that people would get the PML-N’s candidate elected with heavy mandate. “The people will massively support the PML-N in other political phases as well,” he claimed.
To another query, he said former PM Nawaz Sharif also congratulated the PML-N parliamentary body for the continuity of democracy and the system.
“The former PM desires that the PML-N government policies with regard to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), energy, motorways, dams, investment and other development projects should continue,” he said.
“Nawaz Sharif is of the view that work on these projects should rather be expedited, to show the world that a prime minister could be changed but the policies could not be altered,” Abbasi added.
On former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan’s inclusion in the cabinet, Abbasi said consultations were under way. “Who joins the cabinet is something that you’ll get to know soon,” Abbasi told reporters. “In any case, I’ll be part of the cabinet,” the PM said in a lighter vein.
According to sources privy to the consultations, the new cabinet is not likely to see major changes. However, the PML-N leadership has not developed consensus on rejoining of certain candidates.
Abbasi likely to retain Nawaz’s ministers
Sources said Shehbaz is not in favour of inducting former finance minister Ishaq Dar in Abbasi’s cabinet and wants to bring Punjab Finance Minister Ayesha Ghaus-Pasha from Punjab to the centre.
Shehbaz needs to get elected from a National Assembly constituency and vacate his provincial portfolio in order to become eligible to contest the election for the PM, yet he wants to place his confidantes in the federal cabinet before his arrival to get familiar with the related issues, they said.
Punjab CM is of the view that Dar is facing a reference related to Panamagate in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) which implies that his future as finance minister is marked with uncertainty and depends on the outcome of the related investigations mandated by the Supreme Court.
However, a source said, Nawaz is in favour of Dar’s re-induction and is not much concerned about NAB’s reference. Sharif and other family members are also facing similar references in NAB moved on the directions of the top court.
Some reports in the ruling camp suggest that former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan is not willing to rejoin the federal cabinet under Abbasi’s command. The names of Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch and Ahsan Iqbal are being considered for the position of Interior Minister, a source said.
Nisar is said to be willing to be part of the cabinet as foreign minister once Shehbaz takes over. However, Nawaz is not favouring Nisar’s elevation as foreign minister. Moreover, Shehbaz, who is said to be not on good terms with Khawaja Asif, does not want him in the cabinet.
Reportedly, he wants Abbasi to keep the charge of Water and Power Ministry with himself and appoint a Defence Minister, a portfolio previously kept by Asif who is regarded as one of the most trusted aides of Nawaz. The former PM does not want to see Asif being cornered, the insiders said.
Some reports also suggest that Shehbaz is under pressure from PML-N Punjab chapter not to take up the prime ministerial portfolio given that Punjab is the PML-N’s power bastion and ‘real electoral battle’ in Punjab would determine the future of any political party in the general elections scheduled next year.
However, sources in PML-N Punjab chapter argue that the younger Sharif is too authoritative to be pressurised into doing anything against his will and he wants to get elevated as the PM.
The 43-member cabinet of former PM Nawaz Sharif included twenty federal ministers, nine ministers of state, five advisers and nine special assistants to the prime minister.
Earlier, Abbasi formally started working as prime minister and was briefed by the senior officials of the PM office. He also gave necessary directions, according to APP.