Abbasi: Don’t expect much

Pakistan’s new Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, a longtime loyalist of former PM Nawaz Sharif who was ousted in a recent judicial coup after the Panama Papers disclosures, was chosen with care by Mr Sharif himself with a view to next year’s parliamentary election. The composition of the Abbasi Cabinet was also cleared by Mr Sharif, keeping in mind the needs of the election.

The Cabinet has three noteworthy features. It’s Pakistan’s largest-ever, and the expectation is that so many ministers drawn from all regions and denominations will help positively impact the polls for the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz).

For the first time in a quarter-century, the council of ministers has a Hindu member in Darshan Lal from Sindh, normally regarded as a stronghold of the PPP, a strong rival of the PML(N) in the electoral stakes.

The third noteworthy feature is the appointment of a foreign minister. KhwajaAsif, defence minister in the erstwhile Sharif government, gets this post. Mr Sharif had made do with a foreign affairs adviser and veteran politician Sartaj Aziz, acceptable to the military and Mr Sharif himself, had filled this slot. Through a regular foreign minister, does Mr Sharif wish to retain a modicum of influence in the stance toward India?

The former PM’s political calculations apart, it is the military which calls the shots. Were this not so, it is unclear if Mr Sharif would have been dismissed as PM by the Supreme Court. Therefore, at this stage, it may not be wise to expect a constructive stand towards India.