Islamabad: Pakistan People's Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has said his party will continue talks with PML-N to reverse its decision to quit the federal cabinet after failing to achieve the reinstatement the deposed judges.

"We will continue to be engaged in talks with (Sharif) and will not let him run away," Zardari said.

Except for the finance portfolio, the other eight cabinet slots vacated by the PML-N yesterday will remain vacant and "we will wait for (PML-N chief) Nawaz Sharif to come back", he said.

He added that he was not willing to opt for seeking the support of the opposition PML-Q for the government.

However, the PPP has decided to nominate a new finance minister to replace senior PML-N leader Ishaq Dar to keep on track the crucial exercise of presenting the budget next month.

The budget will have to address pressing problems like inflation and spiralling price rise and the government does not want the exercise to be disturbed.

Zardari said the name of the new finance minister would be announced today by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

The Dawn newspaper quoted sources as saying that senior banker Shaukat Tareen had been tipped for the job and was expected to join the government as an "advisor".

PPP sources, however, said the party had also worked out a list of potential candidates to replace the PML-N ministers if Sharif's party stuck to its decision not to be part of the government.

The PML-N pulled out of the ruling coalition yesterday after the expiry of the second deadline for reinstating judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf for not endorsing last year's emergency rule.
Source : PTI