After its historic win in the Pakistan general elections, the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is busy wooing smaller parties and independents to get the numbers to form the next government. It is also considering several names to fill ministerial berths in the cabinet headed by prime ministerial candidate Imran Khan.
Here is a list of persons who are likely to get important portfolios:
Shah Mehmood Qureshi: He is the vice-chairman of PTI and is likely to take over as the interior minister or foreign minister. He served as foreign minister when Pakistan's People's Party was in power. Son of a former Punjab governor, Qureshi comes from a powerful landlord family of south Punjab and is the spiritual leader of a prominent shrine in Multan.
Shireen Mazari: A PTI veteran, she is also a contender for the post of foreign minister. Considered very close to the military, Mazari is an ex-editor of an English daily which specialises in defence and strategic issues and she also headed the Institute of Strategic Studies. She is well-known for her hardline stance towards India.
Shafqat Mehmood: The defence ministry may go to Mehmood, say PTI officials. However, his long stint as a bureaucrat may push him towards the post of interior minister but this will be dependent on what Shah Mehmood Qureshi decides, say PTI insiders.
Asad Umar: He is most likely to be made the finance minister after his was the only name announced by Imran Khan for a cabinet post. He is the son of Maj Gen (retired) Ghulam Umar and an ex-CEO of Engro Corporation, Pakistan's first MNC.
Fawad Chaudhry: One of the most visible faces of the party, Chaudhry, who is also the PTI spokesman, is likely to take over as information minister. However, there is a strong possibility that he may be made chief minister of Punjab, the most populous and influential province of the country.
Pervez Khattak: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's former chief minister might take over as cabinet advisor after media reports say Atif Khan will take over charge of the northwestern province. Khattak is facing lot of heat as he faces corruption charges over the unfinished metro-bus project in the province.
Shaikh Rasheed Ahmed: He is from the Awami Muslim League (AML), a coalition partner of PTI. Though AML won just one seat, it is one of the oldest allies of PTI and Ahmed has maintained a high profile at PTI events. He is also close to the military. Ahmed is likely to head railways.
