Pakistan's former president Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday indicated that his Pakistan Peoples Party may not join the Cabinet of newly-elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who is still struggling to finalise his core team even after five days in office.
Shehbaz, who took the oath of office on April 11, is without any minister as he is unable to convince all of coalition partners on the formation of the Cabinet. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chair Zardari hinted that his party would prefer that other coalition partners were adjusted.
"I don't think we are taking any ministries," he told journalists outside the National Assembly (NA). "We want to give a chance to our friends (coalition partners)," he said.
However, the PPP, in a wise move, has already grabbed the post of NA Speaker for its leader and former premier Raja Pervaiz Ashraf who was elected unopposed. The party is also eyeing the post of Senate chairman, which is the second highest office after the President.
Reports coming from various political circles show that Zardari is also pushing himself to be elected as president of the country once the incumbent Arif Alvi resigns or is removed.
The PPP party is also set to get the post of Punjab governor, which is the biggest province of the country. So, by sacrificing Cabinet positions, Zardari may grab all key constitutional posts for his close cronies.
However, Shehbaz has been insisting that the PPP should join his Cabinet and is ready to offer key ministries, including that of foreign affairs to Zardari's son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, according to various sources.
In another move, the PPP invited applications for party tickets in the national and provincial assemblies for the forthcoming general elections in the country.
A statement issued by Farhatullah Babar, secretary general of the party, said that each application should be accompanied with a bank draft of Rs 40,000 for an NA party ticket and Rs 30,000 for a provincial assembly ticket.
"Applications must reach the party secretariat in Islamabad or Bilawal House in Karachi by April 30," it said. The call for party tickets has been billed as an indication that the elections might be held before the end of the year.
PTI