With it becoming certain that Shaukat Aziz will be the new prime minister, some former ministers including Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat are expected to lose their previous slots in the new government set-up.
Sources told Business Recorder here on Thursday that Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat, Liaquat Jatoi, Chaudhry Nauraiz Shakoor, Rais Munir Ahmad, Yar Mohammad Rind, Raza Hayat Hirraj and Hafeez Sheikh were included as inactive ministers in a list prepared by circles close to President Pervez Musharraf.
On the other hand, the Presidency is appreciative of Sheikh Rashid, Rao Sikander Iqbal, Aftab Sherpao, Zobaida Jalal, Humayun Akhtar and a few other former members of the previous federal cabinet, according to the list.
Some circles are of the view that the President is against the idea of giving any slot to Makhdoom Faisal in the new cabinet. He is said to have opposed the continuation of Makhdoom Faisal as interior minister for the latter was held responsible for opening unnecessary fronts with different political and religious parties including (MMA), in connection with the government drive against the alleged terrorists.
However, the former interior minister is still having a place in good books of the establishment and the President is being persuaded to allow Faisal continue as interior minister in Shaukat Aziz government.
Musharraf, according to the sources, got annoyed with the former interior minister's public announcement regarding the links of activists and workers of Jamaat-e-Islami and a PML (N) leader Javed Paracha with the terrorist network.
Though the former minister managed to undo his "blunder" by making a statement in the Parliament house, the following day, that he had not mentioned the name of any political party. But the President is not impressed with issuing contradictory statements by Makhdoom, who won elections on PPPP ticket and later on, changed his loyalty by creating pro-Musharraf faction.
According to the sources, President Musharraf is in consultation with the ruling coalition to bifurcate certain ministries including sports, culture and youth affairs, information and defence.
The political circles do believe that CDA may be omitted from the jurisdiction of the Interior ministry and given to the Establishment Division.
According to the sources, the President has been approached with a request from within his family that an MNA- who held a rally in the support of Musharraf during referendum-should be inducted as minister in the new cabinet.
The MNA might be given the slot of either minister or minister of state who will deal with the external publicity wing of the Information ministry.
Similarly, there might be a new minister for culture and youth affairs, while the sports might have a separate minister.
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is likely to be excluded from the ministry of defence and it is also expected to get a new minister.
According to the initial plan, Shaukat Aziz, after his election as head of the government, was to take vote of confidence after the formation of federal cabinet. But this plan was cancelled because the nominations to the federal cabinet could cause resentment among some MPs of the ruling coalition and now the new prime minister will take vote of confidence a day after being elected.
The sources said that Omar Ayub Khan, Mohammad Ali Durrani, Hina Rabbani Khar, Ali Asad Malik, Dr Sher Afgan Niazi, Omar Ghumman and Sumera Malik are the prospective candidates of the new cabinet either in the capacity of ministers or state ministers.
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