WASIM IQBAL, ZULFIQAR AHMAD & AMIR SAEED
ISLAMABAD: Khawaja Muhammad Asif, former water and power minister, may be given the additional portfolio of petroleum and natural resources, apart from retaining his previous two portfolios, in the cabinet of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi who is likely to take oath as prime minister today (Tuesday) for an interim period of 45 days, it is learnt.
Well-placed sources in the former Cabinet told Business Recorder that Khawaja Asif will look after the petroleum and natural resources ministry during the interim period, and once Shahbaz Sharif takes over as PM, Abbasi will resume the charge of his previous ministry.
“The reason Khawaja Asif may be given the petroleum and natural resources portfolio is because it makes logical sense: the two ministries are related, a fact acknowledged in the PML-N 2013 manifesto in which the party committed to merging the two ministries into an Energy Ministry. In addition Abbasi and Khwaja Asif have been friends for long and Abbasi may feel comfortable with Khawaja Asif running the show in his 45-day absence,” sources added.
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had appointed 20 ministers, 25 parliamentary secretaries, five advisers and four special assistants to run the affairs of the state. Analysts argue that the interim Prime Minister is unlikely to make any changes in these appointments.
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif kept 11 portfolios with himself including Foreign Affairs, Investment, Communications, Textile, Postal Services, Information and Broadcasting, Information Technology, National Health Services and Coordination, Federal Education and Professional Training and Capital Administration and Development Division.
Shahbaz Sharif has exhibited the same tendency in Punjab and held eight ministries during the past four years; sources expect that Shahbaz Sharif may match if not exceed the number of portfolios held by his brother once he becomes prime minister.
Sources in Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) told Business Recorder that the interim prime minister will keep a small cabinet to run the day-to-day affairs of the government.
Shahbaz Sharif, when elected as the Prime Minister, would appoint a larger cabinet and, sources speculate, it may have different members than those who served in Nawaz Sharif’s cabinet.
As per the 18th amendment in the constitution, the federal cabinet must not exceed 11 percent of the total strength of parliament, National Assembly and Senate implying that the size of the cabinet should not be above 50 members.
The PML-N members said that a new struggle for the cabinet slots has begun after Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court but are agreed that both Abbasi and Shahbaz would heed the advice of Nawaz Sharif in the matter.
Rasul Bukhsh Rais, a political analyst, told Business Recorder that in parliamentary form of politics and in a federation like Pakistan, the governments appoints cabinet members on the basis of representation of different regions and provinces, besides giving a fair share to the small allied parties.
