PM Shehbaz to expand cabinet, invites PPP to join

According to the media reports published today, senior political leaders from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and allied parties will be included in the cabinet.

The publication stated that the prime minister has started working for the inclusion of new cabinet members and has once again invited the PPP to be a part of the cabinet with talks going on in this regard.

After the decision of the leadership, this matter will be kept before the top decision-making body of the party — the Central Executive Committee (CEC) — which will make the final call.

The report said that Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal has been given an important task by the PML-N leadership following which he has contacted Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti and Qamar Zaman Kaira on the issue.

It is important to note that after the elections, the PPP decided against joining the PML-N alliance in the Centre and Punjab but voted for Shehbaz Sharif as prime minister.

The PPP had initially decided not to take any ministries and had limited itself to only constitutional and parliamentary posts as per a formula agreed with the PML-N.

However, the party changed its mind recently and expressed its desire to join the Punjab government if offered "a proper share".

Senior PPP leader and Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani made the announcement last month while speaking with journalists in Multan at his residence.

The party leadership could consider joining the cabinet of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif if provided with a proper space in the province, he had said.