- PM Khaqan Abbasi starts working in office
The oath-taking of the federal cabinet, scheduled for Wednesday evening, was put-off without any given reason.
No renewed dates for the ceremony were also given. “Today’s oath-taking ceremony of the federal cabinet (2nd August, 2017) at 5:30 pm is postponed. Inconvenience is regretted,” a text message, issued by Press Information Department (PID), said. No further details were shared.
“(Oath taking would be held) tomorrow morning,” said former information minister Maryam Aurangzeb when asked to comment on the new date of the oath-taking ceremony. However, she chose not to comment when asked what had led to the postponement of the ceremony.
The situation, however, got more confusing as Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi told media in Murree that the government’s incoming cabinet would take oath in a ‘couple of days’.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Wednesday said that the consultations over the formation of the federal cabinet were in progress and the cabinet members would take oath within two days.
Abbasi said that allocation of portfolios to the federal cabinet members would be done once the consultation process was over. To a question, he said, “PML-N leadership also discussed the party’s affairs and the upcoming by-election in NA-120.”
He expressed the confidence that the people would get the PML-N candidate elected with heavy mandate. The people would massively support the PML-N on other political phases as well.
“Nawaz Sharif desired that the policies of PML-N government should continue including those on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, energy, motorway, dams, investment and other development projects,” he added.
Political analysts also raised eyebrows over the news coming out that Nawaz Sharif had chaired the party’s meeting held to finalise the new federal cabinet. Under the law, a politician disqualified by the country’s top court cannot hold any party or public office under the Political Parties Act.
The source said that Abbasi shared some names of his choice with Nawaz Sharif to be included in the federal cabinet. The source said that Shehbaz Sharif had also proposed a list of ministers and there was a difference of opinion between the two.
“(Former premier) Nawaz Sharif directed Abbasi to postpone the oath-taking till the list of new cabinet is finalised,” the source said and added that efforts were being made to evolve consensus over the new cabinet.
“Shehbaz put forth names of some senior party leaders for the cabinet. There are many aspirants for ministries of interior, defence, commerce and foreign affairs. The list would be finalised tonight and tomorrow the cabinet would take oath,” the source added.
When asked whether former interior minister was ready to take oath, the source said that Nisar had flatly refused to join the cabinet under one of his ‘juniors’ in the party.