Newly elected PM Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday continued consultations within his own party over the federal cabinet, which is likely to be constituted in a couple of days.

Sources say that Khawaja Asif will retain the portfolio of defence, Musaddiq Malik will get petroleum, Ahsan Iqbal will hold onto the planning and development ministry while Azam Nazeer Tarar will be the law minister again.

Atta Tarar is tipped to be the new information minister, while Shaza Fatima Khwaja is being named as minister for IT.

However, it is unclear who will lead the finance team, as both Ishaq Dar and HBL chief Muhammad Aurangzeb have been participating in recent meetings on the economic situation.

Former caretaker chief minister of Punjab and current Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi is also in the run for interior minister, and has admitted that he would be a candidate for the upcoming Senate elections.

Reports indicate that Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party President Aleem Khan and PML-Q leader Chaudhry Salik could also join the cabinet in the first phase.

Read more here.

Opinion

Editorial

Confused state
Updated 05 Jan, 2025

Confused state

WHEN it comes to combatting violent terrorism, the state’s efforts seem to be suffering from a lack of focus. The...
Born into hunger
05 Jan, 2025

Born into hunger

OVER 18.2 million children — 35 every minute — were born into hunger in 2024, with Pakistan accounting for 1.4m...
Tourism triumph
05 Jan, 2025

Tourism triumph

THE inclusion of Gilgit-Baltistan in CNN’s list of top 25 destinations to visit in 2025 is a proud moment for...
Falling temperatures
Updated 04 Jan, 2025

Falling temperatures

Vitally important for stakeholders to acknowledge, understand politicians can still challenge opposing parties’ narratives without also being in a constant state of war with each other.
Agriculture census
04 Jan, 2025

Agriculture census

ACCURATE information relating to agricultural activities is vital for data-driven future planning, policymaking, as...
Biometrics for kids
04 Jan, 2025

Biometrics for kids

ALTHOUGH the move has caused a panic among weary parents mortified at the thought of carting their children to Nadra...