'Q' forward bloc may get 4 ministries

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) is likely to induct three to four ministers from the PML-Q forward bloc in the Punjab Assembly in the next provincial cabinet, TheNation learnt on Monday.
The forward bloc is now being claimed as the PML-Q provincial parliamentary party, as over half of the Q-League MPAs have joined it and its strength has crossed 43.
Sources within PML-N told TheNation that party lawmakers from Punjab, soon after the restoration of deposed judiciary on March 16, had advised Shahbaz Sharif in a party meeting to give as many as three portfolios to Q-League forward bloc members, as it supported PML-N during the whole crisis.
"The advice had been forwarded in an informal meeting just after the reinstatement of deposed judiciary with a silent consent from Shahbaz," said a PML-N parliamentarian seeking not to be named. He said the final decision in that regard would be taken by PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif.
When asked whether it would be possible to accommodate forward bloc members in the provincial cabinet in the presence of anti-defection law, the PML-N leader said the forward bloc had the strength of around 50 MPAs, therefore it was legally parliamentary party of PML-Q, instead of a forward bloc. He further hinted that Mian Atta Muhammad Manika and Dr Tahir Ali Javed could be taken in the next provincial cabinet.
Commenting on the new alignment in the province, PML-N lawmaker said that it was like forging an alliance with PML-Q sans Chaudhrys of Gujrat. "The strength of PML-Q unification group in the Punjab Assembly would further swell in the coming days, as a number of other PML-Q MPAs are in constant contact with PML-N," he added.
Atta Manika while talking to TheNation said that forward bloc was no more a forward bloc now, as its strength had soared to around 45. When asked whether he was aware or had been consulted by PML-N for taking forward bloc members into the next provincial cabinet, he replied that he did not know and his like-minded unification group was also not supporting PML-N for getting berths in Punjab cabinet.