Mr Liaquat, who was to take oath on Monday, did not turn up at the ceremony during which 12 ministers were inducted into the NWFP caretaker cabinet, raising the total number of ministers to 17.

It was learnt that federal Minister Amir Muqam had played a key role in including his name in the caretaker cabinet.

His family sources told Dawn on Tuesday that they had expressed their regrets to the authorities. The sources said that Mr Liaquat had decided to contest the general elections and if his family decided that another member of his family should come forward in the upcoming general elections he would support him.

The sources said that in Mr Tarakai’s view he could not satisfy the people in just a few months, as the masses might have a lot of expectations from him.