LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s 17-member cabinet took oath of office on Wednesday.
Punjab Governor Muhammad Baligh-ur-Rehman administered the oath to the provincial ministers at a ceremony held at the Governor’s House which was attended by CM Maryam Nawaz among others.
Marriyum Aurangzeb was sworn in as a senior minister while Syed Muhammad Ashiq Hussain Shah, Rana Sikandar Hayat, Khawaja Imran Nazeer, Khawaja Sulman Rafiq and Zeeshan Rafique were sworn in as ministers.
Other ministers include Bilal Akbar Khan, Sohaib Ahmed Malik, Azma Zahid Bokhari, Bilal Yasin, Ramesh Singh Arora, Khalil Tahir, Faisal Ayub Khokhar, Shafay Hussain, Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani and Sohail Shoukat Butt.
Punjab cabinet members are later allotted portfolios by the provincial chief executive.
However, sources privy to the matter said that the Ministries of Planning and Development, Environment and Forests will be assigned to Aurangzeb.
Bokhari is likely to be the Minister of Information and Culture.
The agriculture portfolio would be given to Ashiq Hussain and Ramesh Singh would get the minority ministry, sources added.
Speaking to reporters after the swearing-in ceremony, CM Maryam praised her newly appointed cabinet members and said, “Very talented and young people are inducted in the cabinet.
“Foreign educated and experienced people have become part of the Punjab cabinet,” she added.
It is pertinent to mention that PML-N’s Malik Ahmed Khan and Malik Zaheer Ahmed Channer will serve as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House.
PML-N sources indicate that a major reorganization of the Punjab bureaucracy is under consideration. Officer interviews have reportedly begun and many government officials are seeking political support to retain or land lucrative positions.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has expressed her determination to moderate the impact of record high inflation, especially on food prices.
Addressing a press conference at the chief minister’s office here on Wednesday, she said directives have been issued to the Punjab administration to enforce strict price control measures and curb hoarding.
Emphasizing the zero tolerance policy of overcharging, Maryam highlighted the ongoing raids by district administration officials to deal with the issue of selling daily necessities at exorbitant prices and creating artificial shortages. With the activation of the price control committees, it called on owners of storage facilities to register with the relevant department within three days for effective government supervision.
The CM promised strict action against any attempts to disrupt law and order and warned of consequences for those who damage public property. Acknowledging the inadequacy of the one-time aid to more than 30 million people, Maryam detailed the Negahban Ration Programme’s special aid package. The initiative includes 6.5 million bags with QR codes, digitally verified and distributed to deserving families using NADRA and BISP data. The CM directed the Punjab Food Authority to ensure quality control and discourage the sale of substandard items contributing to widespread health problems. She unveiled her plans for a province-wide survey in the coming months to set up a Punjab Socio-Economic Register to address the broader challenge of poverty.
