Cabinet expansion deferred

Federal Minister for Information Sherry Rehman has said that the step to expand the Cabinet will be taken in next few days, reported a private TV channel.

She said that the process of consultation had been completed, and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani would make an announcement in this connection in a couple of days to come.

Our Staff Reporter from Islamabad adds: The spokesman for Prime Minister House Zahid Bashir when contacted informed TheNation that the expansion in cabinet was not expected today (Wednesday) but may be done in next few days.     

When asked about the media reports of likely announcement and oath-taking of new ministers and ministers of state on Wednesday, he said the expansion would take place in couple of days.

However, sources in the ruling alliance revealed that the expansion plan of the cabinet had been deferred for few days due to reservations that the two major ruling allies, ANP and JUI, have on the number of slots each one of them wants to clinch. "The coalition parties are trying to buy some time to reach on an agreed formula," they hinted.

According to available information, the ruling coalition is discussing induction of some 21 ministers including 14 federal and 7 state ministers in addition to one advisor in the federal cabinet. The ruling partners are also reviewing share of each party in the expanded cabinet.

PPP, the leading coalition partner, is likely to get 10 cabinet slots, Muttahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) four, Awami National Party and Jamiat Ulema Islam two each and FATA members of Parliament to get one ministerial slot in the expansion plan under review, an insider privy to the series of meetings of ruling partners confided.