21-member PTI cabinet takes office in Punjab

Islamabad: Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman has administered the oath of office to the 21-member Punjab cabinet comprising all PTI members.

The ministers took oath after the Supreme Court declared Chaudhry Parvaiz Elahi the province’s executive on winning 186 votes in the run-off elections of the Punjab Assembly on July 26.

The Punjab Governor had earlier refused to administer oath to Pervaiz Elahi as a tit-for-tat action to Imran Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema’s refusal to administer oath to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz.

However, regarding oath to provincial ministers, he allowed the chief minister and his cabinet to attend the official ceremony at the Governor’s House.

All PTI men in Punjab cabinet

In the new cabinet, all the ministers belong to the PTI and according to the PTI’s senior leaders, it was made clear to Pervaiz Elahi that since his party Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) was given the top slot i.e. Chief Minister despite having 10 votes, the provincial cabinet would comprise the PTI’s members. In the second phase of the provincial cabinet, PML-Q members could be adjusted, they said.

In the new setup, the finance portfolio has been given to Mohsin Leghari while the home and prisons department has been put under the control of retired Col Hashim Dogar.

PTI’s Khurram Virk has been given the law and parliamentary affairs portfolio while Dr Yasmin Rashid has been retained as health minister. Raja Yasir Humayun is made minister for higher education and IT while Murad Raas has been retained as school education minister.

Basharat Raja who in the previous government of PTI had Law and Home portfolio, has been assigned the cooperatives and prosecution portfolio while Asif Nikai is given the excise and taxation department.

Latif Nazar (Mines and Minerals), Hasnanin Dareshak (Energy and food), Nawabzada Mansur Khan (Revenue), Ali Sahi (communication and works), Taimur Malik (sports and culture), Muneeb Cheema (Transport), Ansar Niazi (Labour), Shahabuddin Sehar (Livestock), Jahanian Gardezi (Agriculture), Ghazananfar Abbas Chheena (social welfare), Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed (Local Government), Mian Ali Abbas Shah (Forest and Wildlife) and Aslam Iqbal (Housing and Industries) have also been included in the provincial government.

Former Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema has been assigned as adviser to the chief minister on information.

Punjab Chief Secretary relinquishes charge

After the provincial cabinet took oath, Punjab Chief Secretary (CS) Kamran Ali Afzal ‘owing to personal reasons’ made a request to the federal government to withdraw his services immediately.

In a letter to the federal government conveying his inability to continue his current assignment Afzal requested the federal government to withdraw his services with immediate effect.

His request came in the wake of a wide-range of transfers and postings of the officers of the district administration and police across the province by Chief Minister Elahi.

Afzal was appointed as Chief Secretary of the province in September 2021 when PTI’s Usman Buzdar was in charge. He was the 5th chief secretary during the three years of the previous PTI-led government and belonged to the 21st Common of the District Management Group. However, he drew the ire of the former bosses when the political situation took a new turn in the province and the PML-N came to power for a brief period.

Chief Minister Elahi expressed his displeasure on many an occasion during the last three months and warned him as well as former police chief Rao Sardar Ali Khan over their action against PTI legislators and for deploying the police force on the floor of the Punjab Assembly.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan, too, in his public meetings, had criticised the duo as well as commissioners and deputy commissioners for ‘toeing the PML-N campaign in Punjab bypolls.’