Prime Minister-elect Nawaz Sharif has finalised names for the incoming cabinet and candidates for the posts of president, NA speaker and deputy speaker, a private TV channel reported on Thursday.

According to the channel, Sartaj Aziz has emerged as a strong presidential candidate. President Asif Ali Zardari’s term in office is due to end this September.

The channel said that for the post of National Assembly speaker, Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Riaz Pirzada are under consideration while Sumaira Malik and Tariq Fazal Chaudhry have emerged as front runners for the post of deputy speaker.

The federal cabinet is expected to be sworn-in in two phases. General (r) Qadir Baloch is being named for the post of interior minister while Raja Zafarul Haq is potential leader of the House in Senate, the channel said.

Likely candidates for the incoming federal cabinet include Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Chaudhry Jaafar Iqbal, Ahsan Iqbal, Khwaja Muhammad Asif, Ishaq Dar, Khurram Dastagir, Rana Tanvir, Abid Sher Ali, Abdul Ghafar Dogar, Mohsin Ranjha and Hafiz Abdul Karim.

Moreover, Syed Ghous Ali Shah and Ameer Muqam are likely advisers to the PM-in-waiting.