ISLAMABAD, Aug 18: Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain will relinquish his office some time between Aug 22 and 25 to make way for Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz to take over as new chief executive.

Information Minister Sheikh Rashid said this while briefing reporters on decisions taken by the federal cabinet at a meeting here on Wednesday. This was the last meeting of the cabinet headed by Chaudhry Shujaat.

The meeting discussed the by-elections on the National Assembly seats of Tharparkar and Attock and expressed satisfaction over reports that polling was smooth and voters had turned out in large numbers. The minister, however, told a questioner that he was unaware about the turnout figure.

When his attention was drawn to a reported statement of President Pervez Musharraf that only competent people would make it to the cabinet of Mr Shaukat Aziz, the minister said: "The president has always championed merit and every member of parliament was competent since he was representing a large number of voters of his constituency."

When asked whether the cabinet considered the law and order situation or gave any special instructions to the interior ministry, he said the law-enforcement agencies "have nabbed a good number of important members of terrorist outfits last month" and reaction from them could not be ruled out.

"We are already facing the reaction," he remarked. Asked about reports that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had prepared a reference against Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat on alleged misuse of helicopter, Sheikh Rashid said: "I don't know about such a reference nor am I ready to involve myself in commenting on interior minister's affairs."

The cabinet, in order to speed up the decision-making process, decided in principle to delegate as much administrative powers to ministries as possible to ensure good governance and avoid unnecessary delays. Prime Minister Shujaat Hussain had directed the cabinet division to specify areas where powers could be delegated to ministries.