LAHORE - Following reconciliation between the coalition partners in Punjab, PML-Q MPA Bao Rizwan has been inducted into the Punjab Cabinet. He has been given the portfolio of environment.
PML-Q is now having two ministers in the provincial cabinet as per the power-sharing formula. Hafiz Ammar Yasir who resigned couple of weeks back also resumed his official engagements on Friday.
Earlier, Governor Punjab Mohammad Sarwar administered oath to Bao Rizwan as provincial minister at a ceremony held at the Governor House.
Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar, Provincial Minister Raja Basharat, Provincial Minister Fayaz Ul Hassan Chohan, Provincial Minister Nouman Langrial, PTI Secretary General Arshad Dad, PML-Q leader Ch Moonis Elahi, IGP Punjab and others attended the oath-taking ceremony.
Later, Governor Punjab Mohammad Sarwar had a meeting with Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar, Provincial Minister Bao Rizwan and PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi. All leaders agreed to solve the problems of the country as per vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Ch Sarwar said that the PTI government was already making all decisions by taking on board all its allies and will continue this practice in future as well.
Later, during the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Buzdar also congratulated newly sworn-in minister Bao Muhammad Rizwan and expressed the hope that he will perform his duties with full zeal and come up to the expectations of the people.
Meanwhile, Punjab Governor Ch Muhammad Sarwar has accepted the resignation of Punjab Senior Minister Aleem Khan who was arrested by NAB on Wednesday.
Aleem Khan will be formally denotified as provincial minister on Saturday (today) through a notification to be issued by the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Department.
Spokesperson to the Punjab Chief Minister Dr Shahbaz Gill confirmed the development while talking to The Nation.
He also confirmed that Local Government portfolio of Aleem Khan has been given to the Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Muhammad Basharat Raja.
It may be recalled here that Raja Basharat also held these two portfolios during 2002-2007 when he served as Provincial Minister in the Cabinet of Ch Parvez Elahi.
According to sources, the issue of Aleem Khan’s resignation was discussed in Friday’s Punjab Cabinet meeting which decided to send his resignation to the Punjab Governor for approval.
It is notwithstanding an earlier decision of the Punjab government to retain Aleem Khan as the Provincial Minister till he got a clean chit from the anti-graft body.
Addressing the Cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister commended Aleem Khan for his political and public services.
The Chief Minister also termed Aleem Khan’s performance as Senior Minister as brilliant.
“Abdul Aleem Khan has resigned from the Ministry by showing high moral norms and it is hoped that he will get justice,” Buzdar observed, adding, that the PTI government fully believed in the supremacy of law.