Analysis: Who will be handed the keys to national kitty?

WITH the process of government formation well and truly under way, the question on everyone’s lips now is: who will become custodian of the country’s kitty? Speculations abound, yet it is clear that the PML-N — which is actively lobbying to have its own man in the coveted slot — wants to revive the political capital that was eroded by its 16-month stint at the helm of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government. Background interviews and discussions with key PML-N leaders, caretaker ministers and sources privy to the cabinet formation by the incoming government yield conflicting views, but there seems to be a consensus on one point: PML-N Supremo Nawaz Sharif will have the final say on who gets the job of finance minister. The performance of the finance ministry under the caretaker technocrat, Dr Shamshad Akhtar, also has an impact on these discussions.