No cabinet meeting held in over two months

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet, which according Article 91 of the Constitution is collectively responsible to the Senate and National Assembly, is not holding its regular meetings since last over two months to give approval to various national projects and other agendas that need to be approved by it.
The cabinet last met on February 28 and since then no meeting is scheduled and the Haj Policy 2015, which as a routine, used to be announced after the cabinet approval two months before start of Haj season, was approved this year by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Article 91 says, “The Cabinet. - (1) there shall be a cabinet of ministers, with the prime minister at its head, to aid and advice the president in the exercise of his functions.”
As a routine, the cabinet needs to meet twice a month as was the case in earlier months of the present government and the PPP government. It is unfortunate that the champions of democracy have not demonstrated any love lost for upholding the democratic institutions as the PM, his cabinet ministers and even key lawmakers keep themselves away from the upper and lower houses of the Parliament as a routine and many sittings are held without caring lack of quorum in the two houses.
Political opponents of the PML-N have been accusing Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif for keeping several ministerial slots with himself and holding the cabinet meetings scarcely and now the PM has also taken queue from his younger brother. So much so that no meeting of the national security committee has been held even when it was required, particularly when the government came under pressure from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to send its troops to fight Houthi rebels, and instead the joint session of Parliament was summoned which unanimously resolved not to allow Pakistani troops to proceed to fight along with the Arab alliance forces in Yemen. The present government ever since its coming to power about two years back has run its business without a complete cabinet as the premier kept a number of portfolios with himself or handed over some to the ones who were his trusted lieutenants. Some very important ministerial portfolios thus are lying vacant for months. The Law Ministry, which fell vacant following Zahid Hamid’s resignation several months back, is without a regular head although part-time arrangements have been made from time to time. Zafarullah Khan advocate, who was made secretary law, also has left to take up the office of special assistant to the PM.
There were press reports about PM’s intentions to expand his cabinet. First it was rumoured that he may induct a number of ministers following Moharram and then it was said to have been deferred till completion of the Senate polls on March 12 this year. Both deadlines have passed long ago and there are no signs of any expansion/reshuffle. However Mushahidullah Khan, PML-N’s information secretary, was inducted as climate change minister. Mushahidullah was earlier tipped for the governor Sindh office when the PML-N came to power but later political exigencies did not allow the ruling party to bring its own governor and the status still prevails.
The total strength of the present cabinet is only 19 with nine ministers of state along with advisers and special assistants. Under the 18th Amendment the government can pile up the number of cabinet members to 40 plus. Besides, the PM has also been under pressure from various influential groups in his party to induct them in the cabinet. And above all, the JUI-F Senator Maulana Attaur Rehman, younger brother of the party chief, is waiting for his induction following his party secretary general Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri’s elevation to the office of deputy chairman Senate. The cabinet also plans to give representation to the south Punjab and Fata, the sources said.