LAHORE - A 21-member Punjab cabinet was sworn in here on Saturday with no representation from the PML-Q which seems quite satisfied with the chief minister’s slot.
Punjab Governor Muhammad Balighur Rehman administered oath to the new ministers at Governor House in a simple and solemn ceremony. Secretary I&C Punjab Zaid bin Maqsood read out the notification regarding the appointment.
An important department of irrigation previously run by Mohsin Khan Leghari has been left headless in the first phase of cabinet formation.
Punjab Chief Minister Ch Parvez Elahi, Speaker Punjab Assembly Sibtain Khan, former Governor Punjab Umar Sarfraz Cheema, former Minister, MNA Moonis Elahi, members of the Provincial Assembly, journalists, party workers and people from various walks of life were present.
Among the ministers who took oath of their office include Mohsin Khan Leghari (Finance), Colonel (Rtd) Hashim Dogar (Home), Taimur Malik Bhatti (Youth Affairs, Sports and Culture), Raja Yasir Humayun (Higher Education, Punjab Information Technology Board), Dr Yasmin Rashid (Health), Ansar Majeed Niazi Labour and Human Resource), Raja Basharat (Cooperatives and Public Prosecution), Shahabuddin Khan (Livestock & Dairy Development), Muneeb Sultan Cheema (Transport), Murad Ras (School Education), Khurram Shehzad Virk (Law and Parliamentary Affairs), Sardar Asif Nakai (Excise & Taxation), Ali Afzal Sahi (Communication & Works), Nawabzada Mansoor Ahmad Khan (Revenue), Hussain Jahanian Gardezi (Agriculture), Ghazanfar Abbas Cheena (Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Maal), Latif Nazar (Mines & Minerals), Sardar Hasnain Bahadur Dareshak (Energy and Food), Mian Mahmood ur Rasheed (Local Government), Mian Aslam Iqbal (Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering, Industries, Commerce, Investment and Skills Development Department) and Syed Abbas Ali Shah (Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries) department.
Some ministers who held important portfolios in Usman Buzdar’s cabinet have been ignored in the first phase. They include Hashim Jawan Bakht, Ch Zaheeruddin, Dr Akhtar Malik and Raja Rashid Hafeez.
