No decision on major portfolios, oath-taking ceremony postponed

ISLAMABAD:  The oath-taking ceremony of the new cabinet which was to be held today has been postponed as the PML-N leadership could not finalize the portfolios of the ministers.

The top party leadership met in Murree under the chair of Nawaz Sharif to decide the new cabinet and their portfolios to be inducted in the new team of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

The oath-taking was postponed due to ondecisiveness over the portfolios  of ministries of interior, finance, foreign affairs, defence and trade. Lt Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch (retd) is being tipped as interior minister.

The high-level meeting at the Governor House Murree was also attended by PM Khaqan Abbasi, Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Senator Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal, Pervez Rasheed, Hamza Shehbaz, and other senior party leaders.

Former interior minister Ch Nisar is reportedly not being included in the cabinet and he may be given the foreign ministry in Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet.

During the meeting, PM Khaqan thanked Nawaz Sharif and party leadership for supporting him.

Later Talking to media Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the new federal cabinet would be inducted withing a couple of days once the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's  completes consultation process.

 Abbasi said: "We want to convey a message to the world that prime minister could be replaced, but policies would remain unchanged.

He said during his meeting with the Nawaz Sharif, the former prime minister asked him to expedite work on the projects that were undertaken in his stint so that they could be completed on time.   

When asked whether PMLN stalwart Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan would be part of his cabinet, the prime minister said portfolios would also be decided by the party and no decision has been taken in this regard so far.

Responding to a question regarding by-election in the National Assembly constituency 120 vacated by Nawaz Sharif, he said the PMLN would win the seat with big margin.

Asked whether the ruling party would give a welcome to Nawaz Sharif upon his arrival in Lahore, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the former prime minister would stay in Murree until cabinet's takes oath.

Khaqan Abbasi was elected the prime minister on Tuesday with overwhelming majority after Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court on 28th July in Panama case.