Consultations for the next phase of the federal cabinet expansion have entered their final stages, with four to five ministers expected to be appointed, sources said on Sunday.

Among the potential candidates are Hanif Abbasi, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Barrister Aqeel Malik, and Talal Chaudhry.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has completed consultations with senior party leaders regarding the cabinet expansion. The next phase of cabinet appointments is anticipated to take place within the coming week.

He is expected to hold individual meetings with potential candidates before finalising the appointments. In addition to the aforementioned names, Senator Khalil Tahir Sindhu, Ikhtiar Wali, and Dr Taqeer Shah are also being considered for ministerial positions.

PM Shehbaz’s 19-member cabinet was sworn in on March 11, 2024, with only one woman minister. Some of the ministers have additional portfolios as the government has maintained to follow austerity measures.

In May, PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah was inducted into the federal cabinet as an adviser to the prime minister on political and public affairs.

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It merits here to mention that the cabinet members do not take salaries in order to lower the burden on the national exchequer, however, experts have said that such measures were not enough.

They have called for reducing the pension bill, cutting expenditures, shutting down ministries and departments, and taxing the “holy cows”.