Incumbent Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in a press conference on Wednesday said that the government’s incoming cabinet would take oath in a couple of days.
“Consultations are underway and the cabinet will hopefully take oath in one to two days,” Abbasi said while speaking to journalists in Murree, following a high-level PML-N meeting chaired by ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
When asked about the PML-N’s candidate for the upcoming by-poll for the NA-120 constituency ─ a seat left vacant after Nawaz’s disqualification ─ Abbasi said that there was still time left and discussions regarding the matter were underway.
According to the schedule released by the Election Commission of Pakistan on Tuesday, August 12 is the last day for the filing of nomination papers for the NA-120 by-poll.
The PML-N’s parliamentary meeting had earlier decided that Shahbaz would contest the NA-120 election and take over the office of prime minister from Abbasi.
“He needs to make decisions and so do we,” Abbasi said when asked about former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar’s inclusion in his cabinet.
Nisar had discussed his grievances with the party in a shocking press conference last week, in which he said he had thought about resigning from the party and the ministry as soon as the Supreme Court announced the Panamagate verdict.
Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and other prominent PML-N leaders, including former defence minister Khawaja Asif, former planning and development minister Ahsan Iqbal and former railways minister Saad Rafique were among those who attended the party’s meeting today.
The new cabinet is expected to mostly consist of members who have served in Nawaz Sharif’s cabinet. Abbasi’s cabinet, however, is expected to be smaller than that of his predecessor.
Abbasi was sworn in as prime minister of Pakistan on Tuesday after winning the election on the same day by bagging 221 votes in the National Assembly.
Source: Dawn
