Caretaker Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso, who is all set to announce his cabinet in a day or two, on Tuesday held important consultations on the vital issue as well as the upcoming general elections with President Asif Ali Zardari and army chief General Ashfaq Kayani.
The three leaders also discussed plans to hold smooth and peaceful polls in the country.
In his meeting with the prime minister, the president held discussions on the formation of caretaker cabinet and the forthcoming elections.
President Zardari expressed his desire that people with good track record and able professionals be included in the caretaker cabinet, which would go a long way in holding free, fair and transparent elections.
General Kayani congratulated the prime minister on assuming office of the country’s top executive and briefed him on the prevailing security situation in the country.
He assured the prime minister of army’s all possible support for holding peaceful polls, a source said, seeking anonymity.
Constitutionally, the formation of caretaker cabinet is the discretion of the prime minister, but political circles in the capital say all stakeholders, including the former PPP-led coalition government and former opposition party the PML-N, as well as the military establishment, were being taken into confidence on the vital issue.
Prime Minister Khoso is likely to announce his cabinet in a couple of days, which will be a short team with around a dozen ministers.
Some names are already at the centre of political gossip in the federal capital and it is being said that they would most likely make it to the cabinet under the premiership of Khoso.
These names include former Pakistani envoy to the UK and US, Dr Maleeha Lodhi, who is being tipped for the slot of caretaker foreign minister along with the names of former foreign secretaries Riaz Muhammad Khan, Inamul Haq and Riaz Khokhar.
Another former Pakistani diplomat Tariq Fatimi is also said to be in the run for caretaker foreign minister.
The name of former information minister and advertising exective, Javed Jabbar, is also being cited for the Information Ministry.
The name of former ISI and MI Chief General (r) Ehsanul Haq is being considered for the Interior Ministry.
Some observers say General Ehsan is likely to be given rather the other important portfolio of Defence Ministry.
Also economic wizards and experts like Salman Shah and Shaukat Tareen are being tipped for the important portfolio of the finance minister.
In his meeting with General Kayani, Prime Minister Khoso discussed the holding of upcoming general elections in which the army has to play an important role of maintaining the security on election day, especially in the areas declared sensitive zones.
General Kayani and Prime Minister Khoso did not specifically discuss the cabinet formation or the names of persons being tipped as members of the caretaker government, sources said.
However, the army leadership did want capable and clean people included in the cabinet and that sense had already been conveyed to the prime minister’s office.
“General Kayani told Prime Minister Khoso that army would extend all possible support to the government to hold smooth and peaceful polls,” a source said.
The army chief apprised the prime minister that the top officials of Election Commission had already held first round of talks on holding elections and the army role in that with senior army officials and soon there would be another meeting for the purpose.
The prime minister said his government would leave no stone unturned to hold free and transparent polls, the sources added.