Imran mulls another cabinet reshuffle

Islamabad, Sep 19 (IANS) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was mulling another Cabinet reshuffle, five months after the first one, a media report said.

The Express Tribune has learnt that the changes being considered this time around will not be limited to a redistribution of portfolios.

According to sources in the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and its allies, Khan was expected to bring in a few new faces as well.

The Prime Minister was likely to fulfil promises pertaining to Ministries that PTI had made to its allies in the federal government, such as Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), the sources said.

The portfolios most likely to be swapped around were Defence, Interior, Education, Information, and Defence Production, the sources told The Express Tribune.

There was a high chance, that Defence Minister Pervez Khattak will be given charge of the Interior Ministry, a portfolio he had expressed interest in when the PTI government formed its cabinet the first time around.

Minister for Defence Production Zubaida Jalal, meanwhile, was being considered for the education portfolio given her vast exposure in the field and her experience running the ministry during the reign of Gen Pervez Musharraf, the sources added.

Although speculation regarding the second reshuffle has been circulating for quite a few days, the government has neither confirmed nor denied it officially.

A Minister told The Express Tribune that it was the Prime Minister's prerogative to make changes in the cabinet.

He hinted, however, that any such reshuffle, if it were to be decided, could take place early October.