Expansion on the cards: Ruling party eyes overhaul of federal, Punjab cabinets

Information minister says head of two allied parties to be assigned federal portfolios

ISLAMABAD:

The ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) has decided to expand the federal cabinet as well as the Punjab cabinet, most probably by the end of the month of Muharram, The Express Tribune has learnt. The expansion will see some fresh faces from both the PML-N as well as some allied parties joining the federal and provincial cabinets.

The decision, according to sources, was taken in a series of brainstorming sessions of the ruling party this month. These sessions were attended by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his core ministers – Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Asif, Pervaiz Rashid and Ahsan Iqbal – Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and his son MNA Hamza Shahbaz. They also decided to take back additional portfolios from some of the incumbent federal ministers.



The expansion was expected last month but the move was deferred due to the volatile political situation in the country. Now, the ruling party will wait until the end of the upcoming sessions of the National Assembly and the Punjab Assembly, which are scheduled to commence on Monday (today). Or if the sessions are prorogued in respect for Muharram, then new federal and provincial ministers will be unveiled after the first 10 days of the holy month.

Major changes in federal cabinet

According to credible sources, the PML-N will offer two portfolios to the heads of two of its allied parties – Ejazul Haq of the Pakistan Muslim League Zia and Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao of the Qaumi Watan Party.

A head-hunt is under way for the law ministry as Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid has suggested that a full-fledged law minister be brought in to act as a bridge between the government and the judiciary, sources said. Although Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid has been officiating as a de facto law minister, he cannot be formally assigned the portfolio due to a Supreme Court ruling.

The information minister confirmed to The Express Tribune that the federal cabinet would be expanded after the National Assembly session. Four to five new faces will be introduced in the cabinet, while additional portfolios would be taken back from some of the incumbent ministers, he added.

MNAs Marvi Memon, Muhammad Junaid Anwaar Chaudhry and Abdul Rehman Khan Kanju are being tipped as potential choices from the ruling party, sources said, adding that Marvi was eyeing the slot of minister of state for finance.

Punjab cabinet expansion

The expansion of the Punjab cabinet would see the return of former law minister Rana Sanaullah who was sacked following the June 17 Model Town tragedy, a source said. Apart from his portfolio of law and home affairs, Sanaullah also looked after the ministry of local bodies when he was fired. Subsequently, Education Minister Rana Mashhood was put in charge of the law ministry – only to be relieved after three months.

Last week, Chief Minister Shahbaz told Sanaullah that he was temporarily breaking up his portfolios. And subsequently Col Shuja Khanzada was brought in as home minister, Mian Mujtaba Shujur Rehman got the law ministry, while the chief minister kept the local bodies as additional portfolio for himself.

Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid confirmed the possible return of Sanaullah to the Punjab cabinet. “Sanaullah is an asset for the party who has successfully defended the party on every issue,” Rashid added. “The PML-N leadership has decided in principle to bring back Sanaullah into the Punjab cabinet.”

Additionally, the possible new faces in the provincial cabinet include Sardar Muhammad Jamal Khan Leghari, from Dera Ghazi Khan, Zaeem Hussain Qadri, from Lahore, Muhammad Manshaullah Butt, from Sialkot, Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bukht, from Rahimyar Khan, Lt Col (retd) Sardar Muhammad Ayub Khan Gadhi, from Toba Tek Singh, Ayesha Ghaus Pasha and Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khwaja Salman Rafique, sources told The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 20^th, 2014.