April 17, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 10, 1429

QUETTA, April 16: No breakthrough was made till late Wednesday night in talks between the PPP and its allied parties in Balochistan on the composition of the cabinet.

Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani said that the deadlock was expected to be broken on Thursday.

Syed Khurshid Shah and Ejaz Jhakrani of Pakistan People’s Party, authorised by the party’s co-chairman to hold talks with coalition partners, started the talks in the evening.

Sources said that the allied parties’ quotas in the cabinet had already been fixed and the talks were being held to decide about portfolios.

One of the most coveted portfolios – sought by the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F, Balochistan National Party (Awami) and Awami National Party – is the post of senior minister.

Sources said that some coalition partners had suggested that there should be two senior ministers in Balochistan, like in the NWFP.

“Appointing of two senior ministers could not be ruled out if the issue remains undecided for long,” sources told Dawn.

Sardar Aslam Bizenjo (Independents group), Sardar Sanaullah Zehri (NP-Parliamentarian), Syed Ehsan Shah (BNP-A), Begum Parveen Magsi (PML-Q), Zamrak Khan (ANP) and Maulana Abdul Wasay (JUI-F) are representing their parties in the talks.

Earlier, Syed Khurshid Shah told reporters that the provincial cabinet would be announced within a couple of days.

“We will discuss the issue of allocation of ministries in the meeting and a decision will be taken after consulting coalition partners,” he said.