ISLAMABAD: All federal ministers handed their resignations to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday, paving the way for him to formally dissolve his cabinet and induct a new one, in line with a decision of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party. The process was completed at a ‘farewell’ cabinet meeting when Mr Gilani, before addressing the ministers, asked officials to leave the conference hall of the Prime Minister’s House to make it an in-camera session.
But officials said over 50 ministers would continue to hold their offices till the prime minister formally accepts and notifies their resignations, for which no date was immediately given.
“Till the acceptance of their resignations, the ministers will technically hold their offices,” said a legal expert.
“Not only the prime minister became emotional with tears in his eyes while saying goodbye to his cabinet, some ministers also cried when they spoke of a very good atmosphere they were provided to work,” a cabinet source said.
The source quoted Mr Gilani as saying in a chocked voice: “It is very difficult for me to say goodbye to some very good friends and colleagues who stood with me through thick and thin.”
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira told Dawn after the cabinet meeting: “All federal ministers, ministers of state, advisers to the prime minister and those working with the status of a federal minister shall stand to have resigned.”
Although reduction in the cabinet size to a maximum of 11 per cent of parliament members is a constitutional requirement under the 18th Amendment applicable after the next elections, the PPP’s decision to do it now is driven by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif’s 10-point reforms agenda.
The agenda, now being discussed by the two parties, also demands removal of what it calls corrupt and inefficient ministers to improve governance.
A meeting of the PPP central executive committee on Friday had authorised President Asif Ali Zardari as party co-chairman for a cabinet change and he delegated this power to the prime minister to dissolve his cabinet and form a smaller one.
“The prime minister will forward the resignations to Mr Zardari and the cabinet will stand dissolved after the president accepts them,” a source at the Prime Minister’s House told Dawn, adding that the first batch of 14 to 15 ministers of the new cabinet might be sworn in during the next 24 to 36 hours.
Parliament has 442 members (342 MNAs and 100 Senators) and according to the 18th Amendment the cabinet’s strength could be up to 44 ministers.
Official sources said at least one minister each would be taken from all government-allied parties, including the ANP and PML-F and the group of parliamentarians from Fata, as well as from the JUI-F and the MQM if a deal was struck with them.
However, a source in the MQM said the party might not join the cabinet in the first phase of its reconstitution.
The prime minister has continued a process of consultations as he met the president on Tuesday evening and also talked to politicians, including JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman, who is reported to have agreed to rejoin the government under some conditions.
No minister of state was invited to the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, which seemed to suggest they could be out of the new set-up.
“At least one third of the sitting senior ministers are likely to be inducted in the first phase, including those from coalition parliamentary groups,” an official source said.
Prime Minister Gilani, while presiding over the cabinet meeting, appreciated the performance of his ministers for what he cited as successes in different fields during nearly three years of his government.
“Today’s meeting is going to be the last meeting of the present cabinet,” he told more than 50 ministers, praising their work in economy, constitutional reforms and response to major floods.
He said in all the cabinet held 75 meetings and took 782 decisions, of which 605 were implemented, with the remaining 175 being in the process of implementation.
He talked of the huge challenges of terrorism and global economic recession when his government assumed power.
He mentioned several achievements of the past three years, including surge in exports, increase in foreign exchange reserves to over $17 billion and the index of Karachi Stock Exchange crossing 12,000 points, reflecting what he called the success of economic policies. He also referred to the new NFC award, Aghaz-i-Haqooq-i-Balochistan package, autonomy to Gilgit-Baltistan and fight against terrorism as decisions of great significance.
On the political side, he mentioned the passage of 18th and 19th constitutional amendments as historic developments.
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