Elahi fails to secure ‘lucrative office’ as PML-Q ministers take oath

President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday administered oath to 14 MPs of the Pakistan Muslim League–Quaid (PML-Q) as federal and state ministers. However, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi failed to clinch either the office of deputy prime minister or senior minister – rather he would have to be content with the office of Ministry of Defence Production and Industries.
In the political bargaining, the Chaudhrys could not succeed in securing lucrative portfolios which they had set their eyes on such as the ministries of Water and Power, Foreign Affairs, Commerce, Petroleum and Natural Resources and Communication. President Zardari administered oath to the new cabinet ministers with all of them announcing not to draw their salaries from the exchequer as ministers.
A source told Pakistan Today that Pervaiz Elahi’s hopes were dashed when prior to the oath-taking ceremony, he was informed that Amin Fahim had already been designated senior minister, so Elahi could not be notified as senior minister. He had already been informed that there was no provision for a deputy prime minister in the constitution either. The cabinet division did not issue a notification until late on Monday on allotment of portfolios to the new ministers.
But a source told Pakistan Today that Elahi would be allotted charge of a new ministry – a combination of two ministries, the Ministry of Defence Production and Industries. “Likewise, Amir Muqam would get the Ministry of Production, Anwar Ali Cheema Health, Wajahat Hussain Overseas Pakistanis, Faisal Saleh Hayat Housing and Works, Ghous Bukhsh Mehr Privatisation, and Riaz Hussain Pirzada would be given the Ministry of Minority Affairs,” the source added.
Of the ministers of state, Sardar Bahadur Seeher would get Defence Production, Akram Masih Gil Minorities, Shahjahan Yousuf Health, Raza Hayat Hiraj Housing and Works, Waqas Akram Overseas Pakistanis, and Asif Tauseef would get the Privatisation Ministry. Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Punjab Governor Latif Khosa, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Masood Kauser, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Mahdi Shah, PML-Q President Shujaat Hussain and Senator Waseem Sajjad attended the ceremony.
Another source said a last ditch effort by Riaz Pirzada won him a cabinet berth as federal minister who was earlier inflamed with the information that he was being inducted as state minister. A furious Pirzada refused to accept the state minister-ship and had left the residence of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Sunday.
Meanwhile, talking to an MQM delegation led by Dr Farooq Sattar, the prime minister said politics of reconciliation was the need of the hour to steer the country out of its current problems, according to an APP report. Gilani told the delegation that he had taken MQM chief Altaf Hussain into confidence over the newly-formed coalition with the PML-Q.
He stressed upon the political parties to join hands with the government to address the real issues of the public like energy shortage, unemployment, poverty and illiteracy. The prime minister also informed the delegation about his invitation extended to their leader regarding rejoining the federal cabinet by the MQM. He told the delegation about the press statement being issued by the government over the killing of Osama bin Laden.
He assured the MQM delegation that the government would address their problems and concerns and directed Interior Minister Rehman Malik to visit Karachi for addressing MQM’s concerns. The MQM delegation appreciated the prime minister’s offer of rejoining the cabinet and thanked him for his helpful cooperation in ironing out the irritants.