PPP to get 11 ministries, PML-N 14 in federal cabinet: Rana Sanaullah

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will get 14 ministries, while Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) will get 11 ministries. Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is all set to become the Foreign Minister of Pakistan. Hina Rabbani Khar will most likely be the Minister of State in the Foreign Ministry.

PML-N’s Rana Sanaullah told Geo News‘ anchorperson Shahzad Iqbal on “Naya Pakistan” that the Finance Ministry, Interior Ministry, Defence Ministry, Planning Ministry, Ministry of Energy and Information Ministry will remain with PML-N. Commerce Ministry and Communications Ministry will go to PPP and PML-N while MQM and PPP will get Maritime Ministry and Overseas Ministry. Marriyum Aurangzeb will most likely get Information Ministry as per media reports. Rana Sana said that these decisions have been taken after a joint committee of all allied parties finalised the formation of the new cabinet.

According to The News, Asif Zardari advised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to give cabinet posts to all coalition partners in the first phase and the PPP would join the cabinet in the second phase. It is expected that the first phase of the cabinet will take oath today (Monday) or tomorrow (Tuesday). In the first phase, 10 to 12 ministers will take the oath.

Last week, PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari had hinted that the PPP may not join the federal cabinet.

“I don’t think we are taking any ministries. We want to first accommodate our friends,” said Zardari, talking about government’s other coalition partners.

On Friday, PPP’s Raja Pervez Ashraf was elected Speaker of the National Assembly unopposed.