ISLAMABAD: According to reports, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has chosen to add four or five additional ministers to his cabinet, most likely within the next week.
Whether any members of the PPP or other coalition parties will also be joining the government was not revealed.
Dr. Tauqir Shah, who was the PM’s principal secretary in both the current and PDM governments, is one of the PM’s confidants and could be included in the cabinet.
The PM has requested that Dr. Tauqir, who is presently employed at the World Bank, return to the nation. Dawn was informed by a source in the PM Office that Dr. Tauqir, who is currently visiting the nation, met with the PM on Wednesday.
Other possible contenders include Talal Chaudhry, Barrister Aqeel Malik, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, and Hanif Abbasi.
Barrister Malik, who is now overseas, revealed to Dawn that he was assigned to a federal ministry. He was unsure of the portfolio that would be assigned to him.
Tariq Fazal Chaudhry’s probable admission into the government was also verified by people close to him.
The source claims that at the most recent PML-N parliamentary party meeting, PM Shehbaz made hints about the possibility of some portfolio reorganizations and the addition of some new members to the cabinet.
Prior to their appointment to the cabinet, the PM is supposed to meet with the likely newcomers.
It is also thought that Ikhtiar Wali and Senator Khalil Tahir Sindhu are being considered for ministerial positions.
As you may remember, on March 11, 2024, PM Shehbaz created his cabinet, which consists of 19 members.
It’s likely that Attaullah Tarar, the minister of information, will have a different portfolio.
As a result of the government’s austerity measures, Prime Minister Shehbaz has already complained that none of his cabinet colleagues receive salaries or other benefits.
Cabinet session
While presiding over a cabinet meeting earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz emphasized that Pakistan has entered the growth stage and attained economic stability in spite of opposition sabotage efforts.
“We have no choice but to concentrate on export-led growth if we wish to attain economic development,” he stated.
He stated that remittances hit a record $15 billion in the first five months of the current fiscal year and intended to achieve $35 billion by the end of the year.
The prime minister praised his economic team’s efforts in obtaining an extra Rs72 billion under the advance-to-tax ratio (ADR), which nearly allowed the government to meet its December tax revenue goal. He believed that the FBR will be fully digitalized thanks to the $6 million in financing from the Bill Gates Foundation.
The initial outcomes of this research showed that the businessmen received an 89 percent relief while the duration of the container inspection was shortened by 39%.
Prime Minister Shehbaz hailed the start of Pakistan’s two-year stint as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council as a major diplomatic victory.
Appropriations and suggestions
The Pakistan Telecommunication (Reorganization) Act’s Section 3(7) modifications received the cabinet’s principled approval.
Additionally, it suggested that the rules governing the nomination of Information Group officials as press officers at foreign diplomatic missions be approved.
The registration and recognition of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Thatta, were accepted by the cabinet.
The cabinet authorized the reorganization of a committee to set the cost of life-saving medical equipment in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in a human rights lawsuit and the Ministry of National Health’s recommendation.
Additionally, it authorized the National Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health Authority Bill’s submission to the legislature.
The cabinet accepted the decisions made by the Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises on December 24 and approved the choices made by the Economic Coordination Committee at its meeting on December 18.
