KARACHI/ISLAMABAD - The PPP-led coalition has decided to expand the federal cabinet after winning the presidential election and five ministers each from the PML-Q forward bloc and the MQM were expected to be inducted in the cabinet soon, sources told The Nation here on Sunday. After winning presidential election with thumping majority with the support of PML-Q forward bloc in the National Assembly along with MQM, the PPP top leadership has decided to take five federal ministers from each of these two parties in the federal cabinet. Sources added that parliamentary secretaries from the PML-Q and MQM would also be appointed within a week after the oath taking ceremony of the new President. Sources further said that names of Kashimla Tariq, MNA Nasrullah Bijrani, MNA Israr Tareen, Talib Nakai and Prince Ghulam Mohiuddin from the PML-Q forward bloc were on the top of list of the expected federal ministers. The MQM, however, has not yet indicated the names of its members to be inducted into the cabinet as ministers. Sources said the MQM itself would short-list the names of its ministers. As the chances of PML-N federal ministers to rejoin the cabinet have diminished due to rift in presidential election and the judges issue, the PPP has decided to accommodate the PML-Q forward bloc MNAs and the MQM members as ministers. MQM is already the coalition partner of PPP in the Sindh government while its top leadership had proposed the name of Asif Ali Zardari for the President and due to its hectic efforts, he got 100 percent votes in the Sindh Assembly. PML-Q forward bloc member Kashmala Tariq had openly voted for Speaker National Assembly, Dr Fehmida Mirza, and she was too much critical of the top leadership of her party for its failure in general elections. Sources in the PPP claimed that more than 30 lawmakers of the PML-Q in National Assembly have given votes to Asif Ali Zardari. Report from Islamabad adds: PML-Q like-minded MNAs who voted for PPP's presidential candidate Asif Ali Zardari are likely to formally announce their forward bloc in the Lower House in a few days, thus carving way to form an alliance with PPP-led coalition government. Riaz Fatyana is leading the like-minded group of Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid) in the National Assembly and all the PML-Q MPs, who participated in the Iftar dinner hosted by the Prime Minister on Friday last, are the members of it. They are getting impatient to strike a power-sharing deal with the PPP. Sources in the forward bloc told TheNation that the strength of like-minded group had grown up to thirty-five members in the National Assembly. "According to my information, Mushahid bagged only fourteen votes from the Lower House, as out of 54 members, 35 voted for Asif Ali Zardari and five for PML-N's presidential hopeful Saeeduzzaman Siddique," said an MNA from the like-minded group on the condition of anonymity. He said that at present PML-Q forward blocs in the Lower and Upper Houses were operating without any coordination with each other. "Out of 38 senators, as many as 20 lawmakers have cast their vote for Mushahid Hussain Sayed while remaining 18 are standing united against the Chaudhrys," he added. When asked, Riaz Fatyana said that after the presidential election results, it was Pervaiz Elahi who was leading forward bloc. "We are the majority party with the strength of 35 out of 54 and have the right to choose our own parliamentary leader and forge an alliance with the PPP," he maintained. He said he would ask Elahi and his associates to come with the like-minded group and be a part of the government. "Currently, PML-Q's like-minded group in the National Assembly is not in full coordination with forward bloc of the Upper House but very soon we would evolve a joint strategy," he added. "The PPP is inviting us to join federal government and hopefully we will accept the offer in the coming days," he further said. He said if MQM with 25 MNAs could forge an alliance with PPP-led coalition government at its terms, the same could be repeated as PML-Q's like-minded group enjoyed the strength of 35. Aslam Bodla talking to this scribe said that formal talks to settle the modalities of forming an alliance with PPP government would be held within a week. "We have decided in principle to enter into a coalition with PPP," he said, adding that his bloc was enjoying the support of as many as thirty MNAs of the party. He said that PML-Q's forward blocs within Upper and Lower Houses were toeing their own lines and had no mutual consultation regarding future policy matters. "We want to engage in negotiations with like-minded members of the Senate so that a uniform strategy could be evolved," he added. On the other hand, PML-Q Senator Mir Wali Muhammad Badini, who is the part of party's like-minded group in the Upper House, said he along with other senators from Balochistan had cast his vote in favour of Zardari, as he (Zardari) was a Baloch and had promised to resolve persistent crises of the province. "Till today, PML-Q forward bloc in the Senate has no intention to join federal government but it is being asked to do so by the PPP leadership," Badini said, adding that the bloc might join PPP-led coalition government in future. When asked how many PML-Q senators had voted Mushahid Hussain Sayed according to his information, he replied, "I think 50 per cent senators have voted for Sayed." He said that the cooperation between the PML-Q forward bloc senators and the PPP was not confined only for getting Asif Ali Zardari elected, adding, "In future the PPP will need the 'Q' forward bloc help to get numerous constitutional amendments passed from the Upper house".