ISLAMABAD/LAHORE – In a significant political move, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani telephoned heads of all major political parties, including PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, and took them into confidence on the right-sizing of the federal cabinet. The cabinet downsizing was on top of the PML-N’s demands. President Zardari talked to Nawaz after the PPP CEC on Friday gave a go-ahead to the prime minister’s decision to restructure his cabinet.
President’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar said both leaders discussed the overall political situation in the country. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Gilani started consultation with the political leadership particularly the coalition partners in the spirit of reconciliation. Gilani talked to PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, PML-F chief Mardan Shah of the Pagaro Sharif, MQM chief Altaf Hussain, ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan, JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman, and Munir Khan Orakzai, leader of FATA parliamentarians.
In the telephonic conversation with the prime minister, Nawaz Sharif called the would-be change in the cabinet positive and said it would have far-reaching effects. However, he advised Gilani to make a rational cut in the size of the cabinet and replace the members with honest people to improve the function of the House. Both leaders also talked about the pace of the progress regarding the 10-point agenda and hoped all issues would be resolved in accordance with the policy of reconciliation.
A meeting of the Pakistan People’s Party Central Executive Committee on Friday decided that all coalition partners – the ANP, the MQM, and the PML-F – of the government will be given one ministerial slot each in the new cabinet. The president has committed that the next cabinet would comprise the individuals with unblemished reputation, integrity, competence and efficiency.
