Pakistan: Bilawal Bhutto sets conditions for oath-taking

Islamabad, April 21 : PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto has laid out conditions for his induction into the newly-formed cabinet of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, The News reported Thursday. Bilawal has said that he would join the cabinet only if Moshin Dawar and members of other coalition partners of Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) and Awami National Party (ANP) are also included in the cabinet. The PPP chairman who is currently in London is expected to meet PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and will discuss major issues with the latter who remained active in the formation of the cabinet of the coalition government. Bilawal is also likely to take up the issue of non-inclusion of the ANP, BNP-M and Moshin Dawar in the cabinet and wanted that once they were inducted into the cabinet, he would also take the charge of the foreign ministry. On Tuesday 33 ministers took oath in the first phase amid rumours of differences over portfolios among the partners. The PPP chairman, who was present at the ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadar, however, did not take the oath. The cabinet has 30 federal ministers, three ministers of state and three advisers. ACL1239