LAHORE: Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman on Saturday administrated oath to the 21-member cabinet of the PTI-PML-Q coalition government that later went into its maiden meeting taking up the agendas of ensuring fool-proof security during Ashura and relief for flood-hit people.

Governor Balighur Reh­man, who had earlier resi­sted administering oath to Chief Minister Parvez Ela­hi, did not resist for the oath of the provincial ministers saying that he would be performing his constitutional and democratic responsibility.

Mr Elahi had taken oath from President Dr Arif Alvi at President House.

Punjab Implementation and Coordination (I&C) secretary Zaid bin Maqsood read out the notification regarding the appointment of ministers, since Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal did not attend the oath-taking ceremony and instead requested for his transfer from Punjab. Additional Chief Secretary Syed Ali Murtaza had followed suit. Mr Murtaza was made OSD.

21 members assigned portfolios; Elahi chairs maiden meeting

The oath-taking cerem­ony was attended by Chief Mini­s­ter Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, Punjab Assembly Spe­a­ker Sabtain Khan, former governor Umar Sarfraz Cheema, former minister Moonis Elahi, MPAs, journalists and party workers attended the ceremony.

The ministers who took oath and their portfolios are: Mohsin Leghari (finance), Malik Taimoor Masood (youth affairs, sports and culture), Bash­arat Raja (cooperative and public prosecution), Raja Yasir Humayun (higher education and Punjab Infor­mation Technology Board), Ansar Majeed Niazi (labour and human reso­urce), Mohammad Muneeb Sultan Cheema (transport), Shaha­buddin Khan Sehar (livestock and dairy development), Murad Raas (school education), Dr Yasmin Rashid (health), Khurram Shehzad Virk (law and parliamentary affairs), Hashim Dogar (home and prisons), Sardar Asif Nakai (excise, taxation and narcotics control), Ali Afzal Sahi (communication and works), Nawabzada Mansoor Ahmad Khan (revenue), Syed Hussain Jahanian Gardezi (agriculture), Ghazanfar Abbas (social welfare and Bait-ul-maal), Latif Nazar (mines and minerals), Sardar Hasnain Bahadar Dreshak (energy and food), Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed (local government and community development), 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).

The chief minister felicitated the ministers and hoped that they would work day and night and come up to the expectations of the masses. Mr Elahi emphasised that the focus of this government would remain ensuring welfare of the impoverished people and resolve to undertake all possible steps to provide relief to the common man.

Later, Mr Elahi chaired Punjab cabinet’s maiden meeting at the chief minister’s secretariat and approved to chalk out a foolproof security plan during Muharram.

The cabinet meeting decided to impose ban on pillion riding on 9th and 10th of Muharram while mobile phone service would remain suspended in ‘sensitive’ areas as well as along the procession routes.

The chief minister directed prompt implementation on the special aid and relief package for the flood-hit areas and expeditious redressal of damages be done being caused to the fields and the properties.

The cabinet assented to reconstitute the cabinet standing committee for finance and development and made finance minister Mohsin Leghari its convener. In its meeting, the cabinet also approved constitution of cabinet standing committees on law and order as well as on legislation. Minister Basharat Raja was appointed convener of both committees.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2022