Nawaz Sharif directs PM Shehbaz Sharif to form cabinet quickly

ISLAMABAD: The ruling coalition of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party is set to finalise the federal cabinet soon with the PML-N deciding to request its prime supporter PPP to join the Cabinet, according to a media report on Sunday.

A meeting chaired by the PML-N supremo and three-time former premier Nawaz Sharif and attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif besides other leaders decided that the PPP should be approached again with the request to join the federal cabinet.

“Shehbaz Sharif told the meeting, which was held prior to the presidential election on Saturday, he would talk to Asif Ali Zardari after his election as the president,” The News International said on Sunday.

Quoting sources, the report said that Prime Minister Shehbaz, during his brief meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari at the Zardari House, repeated his party’s request that the PPP should also join the cabinet.

“Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by Senator Ishaq Dar and Attaullah Tarar, visited the Zardari House to personally greet the newly-elected President,” it added.

As part of the post-poll alliance, when the PML-N and PPP decided to join hands with four other smaller parties, PPP co-chair Bilawal Bhutto Sharif had announced that his party would stay away from being a part of the government as it had not obtained the mandate to rule in the February 8 polls but declared to support Sharifs’ government from outside.

Earlier, Nawaz Sharif directed Shehbaz Sharif to announce the cabinet at the earliest and start implementing the party’s manifesto, which seeks to overcome economic challenges and provide relief to the people.

“Currently, the people’s expectations from the PML-N are high, the PML-N supremo told the participants and added that the new government, however, had to face huge challenges. Reducing inflation is also inevitable,” the portal said, further quoting the sources.

Around 15 cabinet members will be announced in the first phase.