ISLAMABAD, March 18: The partners in the coming coalition government — the PPP, PML-N, ANP and JUI-F — on Tuesday worked out a formula for power-sharing but left the crucial details, like the number of ministers and distribution of portfolios, to the new prime minister.

A meeting of the consultation committee of the four parties held at the Parliament House also decided to consider the numerical strength of the coalition partners in the Senate.

Under the agreed formula, the PPP will get 20 ministries and the PML-N 15 on basis of their numerical strength in the National Assembly. Two ministries will go to the ANP and one to the JUI-F. The JUI-F will get an additional ministry because of its larger number of seats in Senate.

The meeting was attended by Mian Raza Rabbani, Sherry Rahman, Raja Parvaiz Ashraf, Khurshid Shah and Naveed Qamar from the PPP, Ishaq Dar, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Khawaja Asif from the PML-N, Zahid Khan and M. Hashim from the ANP and Akram Durrani, Senator Talha Mehmood and Senator Rahmatullah Kakar from the JUI-F.

Mr Rabbani told reporters after the meeting that the formula had been worked out on basis of one ministry for every six MNAs. The strength in Senate was also given weightage, he added.

He said the committee had decided that the new cabinet should not be as large the previous one. However, it would be up to the prime minister to decide about the exact strength of the cabinet.

Mr Rabbani said the coalition partners were determined to resolve all constitutional issues, including the NFC award, Pemra ordinance and Wage Board award for journalists, on a priority basis.

He said that at present the coalition partners lacked majority in the Senate. “We will have to wait for a two-thirds majority for making any amendment to the Constitution.”

He said it had been decided that the coalition government would take up all matters strictly in accordance with the Charter of Democracy. He expressed the hope that the next parliamentary affairs minister would try to develop consensus in both the houses of parliament to achieve the objective of making necessary amendments to the Constitution.

PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the new government would abide by provisions of the Charter of Democracy.

Zahid Khan of the ANP and Akram Durrani of the JUI-F expressed satisfaction over the proceedings of the committee which had finalised recommendations for distribution of ministries among the coalition parties.

PPP parliamentary secretary Izhar Amrohi said that Fata legislators had extended their cooperation to the coalition without any condition and their inclusion in the cabinet or advisory posts for them would be decided by the prime minister.