The federal cabinet will further be expanded as the government has agreed in principle to induct two more ministers from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in the cabinet. Sources told Business Recorder here on Sunday that the two prominent MQM MNAs Khushbakht Shujaat and Haider Abbas Rizvi could be given ministerial slots most likely after next month's senate election.
Recently Dr Farooq Sattar and Babar Ghori of the MQM have been inducted in the cabinet as federal ministers. According to the sources the government and the MQM have not yet reached on a consensus on giving the slot of minister of state to one of the aspirants.
Before the recent expansion of the cabinet the most lucrative Housing Ministry was said to have become a bone of contention between the two coalition partners MQM and the JUI-F, as both the parties lobbied to get hold of it during the negotiations. It was President Asif Ali Zardari who decided in favour of JUI-F. The JUI-F's Rahmatullah Kakar holds this ministry.
With the planned inclusion of the MQM two ministers, the strength of the cabinet will touch 61 excluding those who were given the status of federal ministers. The persons with status of ministers are entitled to all perks and privileges of a federal minister, burdening the national exchequer. However, they do not generally attend the cabinet meetings.
Sources also informed that Awami National Party (ANP) MNA Pervaiz Khan is emerging as the strongest candidate for the ministerial slot that was vacated by former minister Khwaja Muhammad Khan Hoti. Hoti was holding the ministry of Narcotics Control. However, due to his differences with ANP leadership, he resigned from the cabinet, citing the party had ignored him in decision making and the poor law and order situation in the province.
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