Old faces set to return with new portfolios

Asif, Dastgir, Iqbal, Dar tipped as ministers for foreign affairs, defence, interior and finance

ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday finally reached a consensus on the formation of new cabinet of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi – almost a week after his predecessor was disqualified by the Supreme Court.

Though not shared officially, the proposed portfolios of new cabinet members show that a major reshuffle is on the cards, with important slots likely to go to lawmakers obsequious to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Many new faces are likely to make their way to Abbasi’s cabinet. Private TV channels claimed that Khawaja Asif, who served as minister for water and power during the previous cabinet, is likely to get the portfolio of foreign minister.

Ahsan Iqbal, who worked as minister for planning and development under Sharif, is likely to work as interior minister after PML-N top leadership failed to convince Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to join Abbasi’s cabinet.

Moreover, Ishaq Dar might continue as finance minister. Khurum Dastagir, who was minister for commerce earlier, is likely to get the office of minister for defence.



In addition to Talal Chaudhry and Daniyal Aziz, who had been at the forefront in defending the Sharif family during the Panama Leaks trial, names of some other new faces are also in circulation – the majority of them would likely be sworn in as ministers of state.

They include Pervez Malik, Junaid Anwar, Mohsin Ranjha, Arshad Leghari and Hafiz Abdul Karim.

Political observers believe the choice of new cabinet members gives an indication that the ruling party is planning to go into a confrontational mode with aggressive politics in the coming months.

The new cabinet will take oath tomorrow (Friday) after which it will have its first meeting.

The anxiously-awaited oath-taking ceremony earlier 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 PML-N top leadership had been holding marathon huddles during the past many days in Murree. Besides finalising Abbasi’s cabinet, the party leadership has been having brainstorming sessions to devise the future course of action.

Among other important issues being deliberated for the past few days in a series of meetings in Murree where former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has been living after being deposed from office is the elevation of Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif to the centre as new prime minister.

Sources in the PML-N say the younger Sharif is reluctant to leave Punjab – the province he has been governing continuously since 2008 with an iron grip.

Close circles of Shehbaz claim that the chief minister feels his continuation as the chief executive of Punjab is important given the next general elections are less than a year away.

“He wants to continue his focus on Punjab,” a close aide of Shehbaz said, adding he is reluctant to contest elections from NA-120 to become member of the National Assembly – a pre-requisite to become prime minister.



Immediately after Sharif was disqualified last week, the name of his younger brother was proposed during the party’s meeting in the Punjab House.

The former prime minister had announced that his younger brother would serve as prime minister for the remaining term of the PML-N ending in June next year and Abbasi has been chosen as a stopgap arrangement till Shehbaz is elected as MNA.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has notified the schedule for NA-120 that fell vacant after the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif. Polling will take place on September 17 for which nomination papers will be filed from August 10 to 12.

The PML-N has not announced a candidate for the constituency yet, though some media reports suggest if Shehbaz does not opt for the NA seat, the party may field Begum Kulsoom Nawaz – the spouse of former prime minister Nawaz in the contest – in the by-election.

Moreover, the close circles of Shehbaz also feel that he would inadvertently become the target of political opponents, especially Imran Khan’s PTI, if he becomes prime minister.



He is also among the co-accused in several references pending with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and one of prime accused in the Hudaibiya Paper Mills reference which has been at the centre of controversy during the Panama Leaks case.

The PTI, the JI and the AML had not directly named Shehbaz in their petitions that led to the disqualification of Nawaz and sending of references to NAB courts against him, his sons, daughter, son-in-law and Ishaq Dar.

The Sharif family would already be facing NAB references in the coming months. Once he becomes prime minister, Shehbaz would also become an easy target of opposition.

Dr Tahirul Qadri’s PAT already held him responsible for the Model Town tragedy in which several PAT workers were killed in a police crackdown over an issue of road encroachment.

Nawaz yet to decide his route back to Lahore

The ruling party has yet to decide if Nawaz Sharif should go back to Lahore through Grand Trunk Road, commonly called GT Road. Many within the party have been trying to convince him to follow Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s steps and start aggressive politics by addressing receptions en route to Lahore.