Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai has been chosen for the slot of Speaker National Assembly because of his reputation of being a principled politician and as a goodwill gesture for satisfying the people of Balochistan. It is also learnt that the party leadership is considering appointing a female parliamentarian as Deputy Speaker National Assembly. However, some sources said that the name of Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry was also being considered.
Insiders in the PML-N said that the party hierarchy is also considering the name of former Speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Iqbal Khan as Governor Punjab after Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood resigned. "We are still making deliberation regarding formation of the government, while some names including Mehmood Khan Achakzai are being considered for the office of the Speaker National Assembly", said a senior PML-N leader wishing not to be named.
He said that the party leadership believes that Achakzai is the most suitable person to be appointed as the Speaker National Assembly. PaKMAP won only two seats of National Assembly in May 11 general elections. However, the PML-N leader said that his [Achakzai] name is being considered to address the grievances of smaller provinces. PML-N had also proposed Achakzai for the slot of the caretaker prime minister, but his name was dropped after the later expressed unwillingness. Besides, the party sources said that deliberation was under way for the portfolio of Interior Minister to be given to a retired Lieutenant General Abdul Qadir Baloch, who also hails from Balochistan for an apparent reason to bring the separatist elements in the province to the mainstream.
For the portfolio of Foreign Minister, the sources said that three names including Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal, and Khawja Asif are being under consideration and one person will be finalised after the deliberations are completed. Khwaja Asif's name is also being considered for the portfolio of Minister for Water and Power.
When asked the party leadership has earlier announced to appoint Ishaq Dar as Finance Minister, the PML-N leader said that no decision had so far been taken for any portfolio and deliberations are still going on. However, he said that if Dar is given the portfolio of Foreign Minister, then Sartaja Aziz - a renowned economist - would d be appointed as advisor on Finance.
The sources further said that Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan's name was being considered for the portfolio of Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources and Engineer Khurram Dastagir Khan as Minister for Commerce while Sardar Ayaz Sadiq for Industries and Production.
When asked whether there was also a proposal under consideration to merge petroleum, natural resources, water and power into a single ministry of energy, the PML-N leader said any decision in this regard will be taken later. It was also learnt that three candidates, including Pervez Rasheed, Mushahidullah Khan and Khawja Saad Rafiq are in the race for the portfolio of Minister for Information and Broadcasting.