A week after taking oath, Pakistan PM Sharif has yet to unveil his cabinet

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has yet to unveil his cabinet even after a week of his election to the office, with a legal expert saying it renders all policy actions and decisions by the prime minister “illegal” and “unconstitutional.” 
Sharif, the younger brother of three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, was elected to the office on April 11 after the ouster of Imran Khan through a no-trust vote in Pakistan’s parliament. 
He is now leading a coalition government of over eight parliamentary parties, while Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has tendered resignations en masse from the National Assembly, citing an alleged US conspiracy to topple his government. 
Sharif’s government is now struggling to divide ministries among coalition partners as per their strength in the National Assembly, but it has so far failed to finalize any formula in this regard. 
“The consultation [for the cabinet] is complete and I will be announcing the details shortly,” Marriyum Aurangzeb, who speaks for Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, told reporters Monday afternoon. 
The details regarding the federal cabinet have yet to be announced, while Aurangzeb didn’t respond to requests by Arab News, seeking information as to when the cabinet was expected to be sworn in. 
Khawaja Muddassir, a foreign media coordinator of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan (JUIP) that is one of the key coalition partners of the government, said cabinet members would be taking oath on Tuesday. 
“Our four lawmakers will be part of the federal cabinet,” he told Arab News, dismissing reports of a deadlock on the distribution of portfolios. 
“The portfolios of our ministers are also decided and will be announced after the oath-taking ceremony,” Muddassir said. 
The JUIP lawmakers, expected to be the part of the cabinet, include Maulana Asad Mehmood, Senator Talha Mehmood, Abdul Wasay and Abdul Shakoor. 
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), is also said to have been shortlisted for the post of the foreign minister. 
However, legal experts say the prime minister’s policy actions and decisions would remain “illegal” and “unconstitutional” in the absence of the cabinet. 
“The constitution clearly says the government means a federal cabinet,” Barrister Ahmed Pansota told Arab News. “So, all government decisions must be endorsed and approved by the cabinet.” 
He said the Supreme Court had also made it clear through a judgment that a prime minister alone could not take policy decisions as the government would remain incomplete without the cabinet. 
“The prime minister is required under the law and constitution to unveil his cabinet at the earliest to run all state functions smoothly,” Pansota added.