Updated on
Summary
PPP Central Executive Committee (CEC) has approved to dissolve the Federal Cabinet and it has given authority to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to dissolve the Cabinet. Talking to media after PPP CEC meeting under the chairmanship of Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Jahangir Badar said that allies would be consulted on all important issues. PPP CEC has given authority to the PM to form a small Cabinet of reputed persons. After announcement of date by the PM with consultation of allies, all current ministers, advisors, special advisors, and others would lose their posts. MQM has announced to stay away from the new Cabinet. The new cabinet would likely to comprise Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Naveed Qamar, Syed Khursheed Shah, Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh and Abdul Qadir Patel from Sindh; Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Babar Awan, Rehman Malik, Ahmed Mukhtar, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Hina Rabbani Khar and Raja Parviaz Ashraf are some names under consideration from Punjab. Balochistans Ayat Ullah Durrani and Asma Arbab Alamgir from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are likely to handed over some of the ministries. Five ministries have already been handed over to the provinces and another five health, education, environment, women development and culture will be given to them this month. Eight more ministries will either be devolved to the provinces in the third phase or merged with other divisions. The PML-N had given a deadline to the government to implement its reforms agenda before Feb 23, calling for reduction in the cabinet size, to revive ailing economy and cut government expenses. Prime Minister Gilani had recently said that changes and cuts in the federal cabinet would take place as per the 18th Amendment.
