LAHORE: Only 15 districts of total 36 enjoy representation in the Punjab cabinet which comprises 20 ministers and one adviser to the chief minister.
Interestingly, in line with the Lahore-centric development projects in the province, the cabinet has maximum five ministers from the metropolis where the residence of the prime minister and the chief minister is located.

Faisalabad and Pakpattan have two ministers each followed by one each in Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Khushab, Mandi Bahauddin, Okara, Sahiwal, Vehari, Muzaffargarh, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Mianwali. Two of the ministers are on reserved seats. From the remaining 21 districts, MPAs have been accommodated in the government as parliamentary secretaries while South Punjab which comprises 14 districts has been adjusted with the appointment of the governor who belongs to Multan and the Punjab Assembly deputy speaker from Rajanpur.

Minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, a permanent resident of Murree, was taken from Rawalpindi for the third time. Ch Sher Ali from Attock traces long pedigree of politicians in his family starting from his grandfather, Sardar Sir Nawaz Muhammad Khan who was elected to the Indian Legislative Assembly thrice before the partition. The granny of his spouse Nawab Sarfraz Hussain Khan and three uncles and a cousin have been members of the parliament. Tanvir Aslam Malik belongs to Chakwal and Muhammad Asif Malik from Khushab.

Rana Sanullah Khan from Faisalabad enjoys reputation for fighting the dictatorship of Musharraf. Hameeda Waheeduddin hails from Mandi Bahauddin. Her father was also an MPA. She contested the 2002 polls as a PML-Q candidate. Bilal Yasin from Lahore, elected an MNA in 2008, relates to the Sharif family. Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rahman was elected an MPA from Lahore. His father Mian Shujaur Rahman served as the Lahore lord mayor during the PML-N government in 1997. Rana Mashhood Ahmad from Lahore relates to the old Muslim League family. Mian Yawar Zaman belongs to Okara. His father and grandfather have been legislators in the past. Malik Nadeem Kamran is from Sahiwal. Mian Atta Muhammad Maneka from Pakpattan formed PML-Q bloc to cushion the PML-N last government in the Punjab against the PPP and PML-Q onslaughts. He joined the PML-N before the last elections. Dr Farrukh Javed also belongs to Pakpattan. Asif Saeed Manais hails from Vehari. His father Saeed Manais thrice served as a minster and once as the PA speaker. Syed Haroon Ahmad Sultan Bokhari belongs to a religious family of Muzaffargarh. His father Makhdoom Syed Abdullah Shah Bokhari was elected as a legislator four times while his brother, Makhdoomzada Syed Basit Ahmad Sultan Bokhari, is a sitting MNA. Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar is from Bahawalpur. He has been market committee chairman and a district council member. Ch Muhammad Shafiq hails from Rahim Yar Khan. Begum Zakiya Shahnawaz, elected an MPA on a reserved seat, belongs to Mianwali. She had campaigned for Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah in the presidential election against Ayub Khan. Khalil Tahir Sindhu, a minority MPA, elected on a reserved seat, hails from Faisalabad. Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, elected on a reserved seat, belongs to Lahore. Adviser to CM Khawaja Salman Rafiq also belongs to Lahore. His brother Salman Rafiq is railways minister. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif himself is holding eight portfolios.

In the last elections, the PML-N swept polls in Jhelum, Bhakkar, Chiniot, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Lodhran and Khanewal, but these districts have no representation in the cabinet.

Of the 14 Pindi seats, the PML-N won seven and only one of the four in Mianwali, but they have representation in the cabinet.

The population of the Punjab is over 100 million, forming about 60 percent of the total population of the country. Under the 18th Constitutional Amendment, a limit has been set to appoint ministers for proper management of government affairs. Over the last two years, cabinet expansion remained in the reports, but only two ministers were appointed in May last.

A source in the government, when asked about the criterion of picking up ministers, said no hard and fast rules had been set in this regard. On the condition of not being named, he said ministers are chosen on the basis of personal liking of the leadership, political/family background and the following, no matter the person is able to do the job or not.

Another source, on the performance of the ministers, said they only act on the instructions of the CM who outshines all others in deciding mega projects in energy, transport and infrastructure etc. He said since the two brothers separately rule the Centre and the province, most of things are finalised at their own level and role of the ministers remains secondary. He added the role of Hamza Shahbaz, the CM’s son, has further reduced the ministers’ powers.