It was odd enough for the prime minister to take so long in announcing the federal cabinet, but the mystery surrounding the foreign ministry (which is still growing) has failed to do the large coalition government’s image any good. Nobody knows for sure whether Bilawal has really accepted the position of foreign minister, or if that is what he’s gone to London to talk to Nawaz Sharif about, or why such matters could not have been settled with the PM in Islamabad. And then the entry and exit of Tariq Fatemi – of the Dawn Leaks fame – as the PM’s special assistant on foreign affairs further muddied the water for no reason at all. Such indecisiveness shows that the movers of the no-confidence motion hadn’t made too many contingency plans about what they would do in case they succeeded. And that is quite shocking. Not only must the PM answer for dragging Fatemi out of the closet and into his cabinet, because even though the foreign ministry portfolio has been withdrawn, he’s still special assistant to the prime minister (SAPM) with the additional status of minister of state, he must also explain why he’s willing to court needless controversy over this individual. Fatemi was axed as former PM Nawaz Sharif’s SA in 2016 just when the then information minister Pervez Rashid was also made to resign because of increasing pressure from the military. It could well be that his return to the limelight didn’t sit too well with some people in the twin cities; hence, all the confusion. But things will only really be clear after the PM office comes up with a clarification. Foreign affairs is one of the three most important ministries, along with finance and interior, and the vacuum there does not suit the new government’s narrative that the previous administration left it in something of a mess. PM Shahbaz Sharif is known for his lightning speed and high efficiency, which makes slow progress in stitching together a working cabinet, especially the foreign ministry, that much more unfortunate and questionable. After having made such a fuss for so long about how the previous government had gone off-track and not learned the ABC of how to run their ship, the new administration was expected to start their inning on a far more solid foundation. *