The government has finally announced the names of the initial 22 members of the federal cabinet, a move that has evoked widespread interest and plenty of speculation. Acting on the promises made in the 18th Amendment, whereby the cabinet size was not to exceed 11 percent of the total number of seats in both houses of parliament, this resizing has also been touted as a response to the PML-N’s demands for the PPP to follow through on a 10-point agenda. Reports have been making the rounds on the haves and have-nots for the now limited ministerial slots and, well, the results are not all that surprising. Out of 22 cabinet members, 18 are old faces from the PPP making up the ‘new and improved’ cabinet — the only difference being that their portfolios have been revised and, in some cases, turned up or down a notch. What has left speculators stunned is the fact that Shah Mehmood Qureshi has been axed as the Foreign Minister and, as he was unwilling to relinquish this designation and take a different portfolio, he has been left out in the cold altogether. For the time being the slot remains empty with Hina Rabbani Khar being made the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. Some corners are saying that Qureshi may not have been prone to give in to American ire over the Raymond Davis case. Another PPP loyalist, Qamar Zaman Kaira, who was the Minister for Information and Broadcasting, has also been neglected for a ministerial slot. In a surprising move, Firdous Ashiq Awan — known for her on-air slips of tongue — who was the Minister for Population Welfare, is now slated to occupy Kaira’s ministry. What comes as no surprise whatsoever is that Raja Pervez Ashraf (of the water and power ministry) has been axed without being offered any other portfolio to do damage to. It is well known that he was probably one of the most inefficient ministers in the cabinet, doing nothing to fix the mega power shortages and surrounded by allegations of corruption. Eight ministries have been retained by the prime minister such as water and power, human rights and defence production among others. It is being speculated that these ministries are, currently, being kept aside as large, rather juicy carrots for the MQM and JUI-F to lure them back into the coalition. While most of the same faces abound, it must be appreciated that, at the very least, if not quality, quantity is being tackled. The previous cabinet size was appalling for our national exchequer. The army of ministers, their many advisers and the extra fringes that made up the cabinet also made a huge dent on the finances of the state. It must be asked then why this move was not implemented earlier considering the crisis being faced by the state and the pathetic condition of our economy. It must also be asked why these 18 odd familiar faces have been given a second chance. Was their track record that unblemished as to deserve another round? Even if they are not, what are the alternatives? It seems the PPP may not have had much choice. The fact remains that Pakistan is in crisis mode and what it needs is a new set of policies, preferably by different draftsmen than those we had before. However, it is now up to the new cabinet to enforce some rock solid economic, social and political policies. It is said that electricity tariffs are to be increased further and that the petroleum levy is to be reimposed irrespective of the international price of oil. The forecasts of doom need some wise people at the helm of state affairs to work for the welfare of the masses — not for themselves.*