Pakistan’s new cabinet: The ‘Raymond’ files

The resizing of the cabinet from 52 member cabinet to a modest size of 22 members was done to appease the opposition; mainly the PML-N on their 10 point agenda. This was a much needed step for a country like Pakistan, which had to rely majorly on the IMF loans to run its operations. The revised 22 member cabinet was announced two days ago and it came with its fair share of surprises. One of the biggest shockers of this new development was the controversial ouster of former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi from the cabinet, deemed perhaps the most effective and professional minister of the otherwise ridiculed and berated cabinet. This maneuver by the ruling government of the PPP indicates that there is much going behind the scenes as what is apparent to the naked eye.