According to Geo the Speaker of NA will be Dr Fahmida of PPP from Sindh, Deputy speaker will be PPP member from Frontier (the name escapes me at the moment).
Interior Ministry and Foreign ministry will be with PPP while Finance Ministry will be with PML(N).
For the post of PM Amin Fahim is out and only two candidates are in the running:
Ch Mukhtar
Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
GEO also reported that Zardari has ruled himself out as PM candidate.
Re: New team formation reports
For the post of PM Amin Fahim is out
Sad :( if this is true indeed. I actually do not buy the argument that the PM should be from Sind because the people of the province feel a sense of deprivation (Why should they? Yes BB's death was tragic but how many of recent PMs have been from Sind - almost 60-70%, ZAB, BB, Junejo, Jatoi, Soomro (the last two caretaker PMs) etc., you name it. If anything it is the other provinces - Baluchistan and NWFP - that have a case here), but I always felt that Fahim was the best man for the job.
I also feel that we sometimes overdo it in our desire to appease all the provinces i.e. if the NA speaker is from Baluchistan then the Senate Chairman should be from Punjab and the PM should be from Sind and so on...
If all the deserving people come from Sind so be it. Likewise if they are from Punjab then so be it. We must go for the best people for the top jobs rather than appointing them along provincial/racial lines.
Re: New team formation reports
Did we ever have a prime minister from NWFP? I know that we had at least from Baluchistan.
The other main ministry is Defence. It would be interesting to see who gets it.
Re: New team formation reports
Did we ever have a prime minister from NWFP? I know that we had at least from Baluchistan.
The other main ministry is Defence. It would be interesting to see who gets it.
Nope Pakistan has never had a PM from NWFP, it has had presidents and leaders of the opposition though
I believe PML-N wants defence, i have not read the news reports but i am guessing it is abdul akbar khan for deputy speaker?
I believe Dr.Mirza is linked closely o zardari..either relation or close personal friends.
Re: New team formation reports
Yousuf Raza Gilani being tipped as the new PM
Fahim may go to SC against Zardari’s ‘interference’
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) President Makhdoom Amin Fahim might go to the Supreme Court to stop PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari from “interfering in party affairs”, party sources told Daily Times on Sunday.
The PPP, of which Asif Zardari is the co-chairman, is not registered with the Election Commission. It was the PPPP, headed by Makhdoom Amin Fahim, that contested the elections and won the most number of seats.
Sources in the pro-Amin Fahim camp told Daily Times on Sunday that he would not compromise and would approach either the Supreme Court or the Election Commission of Pakistan against Zardari, who was neither an MNA nor an office-bearer of the PPPP.
Sources in the Zardari camp said Makhdoom was no more in the race for prime minister. They said **Yousaf Raza Gilani was the frontrunner for the office of prime minister and Dr Fehmida Mirza for the speaker of the National Assembly. **
“I don’t think Fahim is in the race for prime minister. I guess Yousaf Raza Gilani and Fehmida Mirza are frontrunners for prime minister and speaker,” said a senior office-bearer and close aide of Zardari.
The party had authorised the co-chairman to nominate the candidates for these offices, he said. “He will announce the names of speaker and deputy speaker today (Monday) but I am not sure when he will announce the premiership candidate.” Nabil Gabol is also a likely candidate for speaker, and Abdul Akbar Khan from the NWFP is being tipped as the candidate for the deputy speaker of the National Assembly, according to sources.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\03\17\story_17-3-2008_pg1_2
Re: New team formation reports
[quote=“GoldenAsif, post:25, topic:179614”]
Yousuf Raza Gilani being tipped as the new PM
Fahim may go to SC against Zardari’s ‘interference’
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) President Makhdoom Amin Fahim might go to the Supreme Court to stop PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari from “interfering in party affairs”, party sources told Daily Times on Sunday.
The PPP, of which Asif Zardari is the co-chairman, is not registered with the Election Commission. It was the PPPP, headed by Makhdoom Amin Fahim, that contested the elections and won the most number of seats.
Sources in the pro-Amin Fahim camp told Daily Times on Sunday that he would not compromise and would approach either the Supreme Court or the Election Commission of Pakistan against Zardari, who was neither an MNA nor an office-bearer of the PPPP.
Sources in the Zardari camp said Makhdoom was no more in the race for prime minister. They said **Yousaf Raza Gilani was the frontrunner for the office of prime minister and Dr Fehmida Mirza for the speaker of the National Assembly. **
“I don’t think Fahim is in the race for prime minister. I guess Yousaf Raza Gilani and Fehmida Mirza are frontrunners for prime minister and speaker,” said a senior office-bearer and close aide of Zardari.
The party had authorised the co-chairman to nominate the candidates for these offices, he said. “He will announce the names of speaker and deputy speaker today (Monday) but I am not sure when he will announce the premiership candidate.” Nabil Gabol is also a likely candidate for speaker, and Abdul Akbar Khan from the NWFP is being tipped as the candidate for the deputy speaker of the National Assembly, according to sources.
[
This will be a good move!
Also, Zardari was appointed co-chairman because of BBs will…but wasnt it the same will that said Amin Fahim should be PM? So if they break the will by not making Amin Fahim PM, then shouldnt Zardari also be removed from co-chairing the party?](“http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%href7\story_17-3-2008_pg1_2”)
Re: New team formation reports
Geo News was reporting that Fahim met about 18-20 members from Sindh today, while Zardari was holding meetings with others. I personally don’t think there will be any forward blocs, or open split within the PPP (yet), but it is clear that the leadership is hopelessly divided. It is quite unprecedented in the PPP’s history to have such an open leadership contest, which normally would be good for democracy, but at this juncture it will do the party no good. Zardari’s has shown appalling leadership skills, totally indecisive, while Fahim has stood his ground, and made soft threats, and Ch. Mukhtar has shamelessly touted his own ambitions in the open. This would never have happend had BB been alive.
For instance, it would be pretty embarrassing for the PPP as a whole if Zardari nominates his person for the PM slot, but Fahim puts his name forward on the floor of the National Assembly as well. Fahim may not get more than a few votes from his own side, but such an open defiance when the whole nation and world are watching the new assembly come into being, would be a terrible body blow to the PPP.
National Assembly progress (New team, Mush trembling threads merged)
The election of the speaker and deputy speaker showed the strength of the PPP and its allies to be over 2/3rd. 
Must have sent shivers up the spine of our illegal president.
Aagay Aagay dekheey hota hai kiya. 
Re: Mush must be trembling
Looks like bad news for Aalsi.:D
Re: Mush must be trembling
Looks like bad news for Aalsi.:D
:) mashallah.! Thanks to the great President Musharaf and his fantastic ways that has turned all bad news into good news, Aalsi never feels bad.
Re: New team formation reports
Yousuf Raza Gilani being tipped as the new PM
Fahim may go to SC against Zardari’s ‘interference’ Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) President Makhdoom Amin Fahim might go to the Supreme Court to stop PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari from “interfering in party affairs”, party sources told Daily Times on Sunday.
If Zardari was from JI or TI or any other party which didn't participate in elections then Amin Fahim could have a point but Zardari is the chief of PPP which won most seats so I don't know how SC will stop Zardari from "interfering".
Re: National Assembly progress (New team, Mush trembling threads merged)
PM to be announced on Saturday evening.
Re: New team formation reports
GEO also reported that Zardari has ruled himself out as PM candidate.
That's really sad :( .
PML-N, PPP lock horns over portfolios
This alliance has been in the making for weeks now, yet still they have not decided who will have what portfolio. All reports point to a jumbo cabinet of 60 or 70 ministers, which may take many more weeks to assemble fully at this rate.
PML-N, PPP lock horns over portfolios
By Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz are still deadlocked over the distribution of the cabinet portfolios, The News learnt on Monday. Owing to this deadlock, oath taking of the cabinet minister has been delayed for another week. In this context, even a crucial meeting held between PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif, on Monday night, failed to break the deadlock on the distribution of cabinet portfolios.
Shahbaz Sharif, along with Khawaja Asif, held the meeting with Asif Zardari at the Zardari house that continued for an hour but ended without reaching on any agreement. Though Prime Minister-elect Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani is taking oath today (Tuesday), his cabinet will take oath after the prime minister-elect takes vote of confidence from the National Assembly. Sources said that during the meeting, the PML-N also conveyed reservations over the PPP talks with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement for power sharing at the Centre as well as in Sindh. The bone of contention between the PPP and the PML-N is said to be the nomination of Finance, Information and Foreign Affairs Ministers as both the parties want to keep them.
Sources further said in the meeting it was also decided that talks would continue between both the parties for another two to three days to reach consensus before Saturday on the key cabinet portfolios. Sources also revealed that neither Asif Ali Zardari nor Mian Nawaz Sharif nor any head of coalition party would go to the Presidency to attend the oath-taking ceremony of newly elected Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani. It is expected that another meeting between the top leadership of the PPP and the PML-N would be held by Saturday to break the deadlock on the distribution of the portfolios of the cabinet.
Shah Mahmood likely to be foreign minister: finance may be headed by Naveed or Dar
Shah Mahmood likely to be foreign minister: finance may be headed by Naveed or Dar
RECORDER REPORT
ISLAMABAD (March 25 2008): The other Makhdoom of Pakistan People’s Party from Multan and president of party’s Punjab chapter, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, is strongly expected to get the key portfolio of foreign affairs in the Makhdoom Yusuf Raza Gilani-led cabinet. The other top portfolio-finance-is likely to be headed by Naveed Qamar of PPP or Pakistan Muslim League-N’s Ishaq Darr.
Some well-placed party sources told *Business Recorder *on Monday that the coalition partners have divided the ministries/portfolios into three broad categories. Group A, which has been named as Security, includes the portfolios of defence, foreign affairs, interior, FATA and Northern Areas, Group B or Economy Group consists of all those subjects that are related to economy.
These include finance, commerce, Planning Commission, Privatisation Commission, Board of Investment, industries, ports and shipping and communication. Its sub-group known as Energy comprises water, power and petroleum. Group C, the sources said, will mainly deal with social sector areas such as education, health, women development.
Sources said the two senior coalition partners–PPP and PML-N–have been mulling over the proposal which envisages their shares in the pie on the basis of division of Cabinet portfolios into three categories. “As far as Category A is concerned, it will definitely go to the PPP while the PML-N has to choose either Category B or C,” the sources said and added that the junior coalition partners ANP and JUI-F will be accommodated in these groups.
Based on this formula, the sources said, the PPP was thus able to shortlist and finalise its candidates for some key posts, including that of foreign minister, much before it formally announced the name of its nominee for the PMship. This ministry has been given to a person who was also among the front runners for the post of prime minister.
Similarly, the sources added, the PPP has shortlisted Khurshid Shah from Sindh and Qamaruzzaman Kaira from Punjab for the post of interior minister. Names that have emerged from the PPP camp for other posts are: Senator Farooq Naik, Senator Babar Awan, Nawab Yusuf Talpur, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Sherry Rahman. Sherry Rahman, who was being actively considered for the post of information minister, is likely to get some other portfolio. All of them have their portfolios notified once the PML-N decides the Category or Group in the Cabinet for itself.
In addition to Ishaq Darr, the PML-N, the sources said, had shortlisted the names of Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Khawja Mohammad Asif, Ahsan Iqbal and Tahmina Daultana for the Cabinet posts. However, the sources added, Hashmi had declined the ministry on grounds that he would not take oath from President Musharraf.
As far as ANP is concerned, it has finalised the names of Ghulam Ahmed Bilour and Mohammad Khan Hoti for the Cabinet posts. The third of its nominee will be selected from two candidates-Mateen Khan or Arbab Zahir. According to sources, the initial Cabinet will consist of 18 ministers. The number of ministers will increase to 40 in due course. The cabinet members are expected to take oath by Friday.
So cabinet is taking shape…PML(N) also wanted finnance and Foreign ministry…Let’s see how this game go forward.