Newly elected PM Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday continued consultations within his own party over the federal cabinet, which is likely to be constituted in a couple of days.

Sources say that Khawaja Asif will retain the portfolio of defence, Musaddiq Malik will get petroleum, Ahsan Iqbal will hold onto the planning and development ministry while Azam Nazeer Tarar will be the law minister again.

Atta Tarar is tipped to be the new information minister, while Shaza Fatima Khwaja is being named as minister for IT.

However, it is unclear who will lead the finance team, as both Ishaq Dar and HBL chief Muhammad Aurangzeb have been participating in recent meetings on the economic situation.

Former caretaker chief minister of Punjab and current Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi is also in the run for interior minister, and has admitted that he would be a candidate for the upcoming Senate elections.

Reports indicate that Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party President Aleem Khan and PML-Q leader Chaudhry Salik could also join the cabinet in the first phase.

Read more here.

Opinion

Editorial

Kashmir unresolved
Updated 30 Sep, 2026

Kashmir unresolved

The just solution lies in India addressing the issue through a trilateral dialogue involving the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan.
Water shortage
30 Sep, 2026

Water shortage

THAT the country is entering the Rabi season with an anticipated water shortage of nearly 25pc, the lowest carryover...
Young hearts
30 Sep, 2026

Young hearts

THE observance may have passed, but the message of World Heart Day should not fade with it. The occasion is a useful...
Terror and politics
Updated 29 Sep, 2026

Terror and politics

There is an urgent need to tone down the rhetoric and tackle terrorism as a collective challenge for both the affected provinces and the federation.
Watching the glaciers
29 Sep, 2026

Watching the glaciers

THE latest signs from Pakistan’s mountains are worrying. Suparco says the number of unfrozen glacial lakes it...
Dangerous agenda
29 Sep, 2026

Dangerous agenda

AS the world remains fixated on the US-Iran conflict, elsewhere in the Middle East, Israel is consolidating its grip...