| 8-member Punjab cabinet takes oath

LAHORE   -   Following a nerve-racking wait of 23 days, the Punjab province finally got its governor late Monday night as Mohammad Balighur Rehman was sworn in as 39th Governor of Punjab, thereby ending the constitutional crisis the province has been facing since the resignation of Sardar Usman Buzdar and later after the removal of ex-Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema by the federal government.

Punjab remained without a constitutional head for 23 days as Speaker Punjab Assembly Ch Parvez Elahi had refused to take charge as the acting governor after the removal of Omar Cheema on May 10. This also delayed formation of the Punjab cabinet which was unprecedented in Punjab’s political history. Hamza Shehbaz was elected chief minister on April 16, but it took him well over one and half months to form his cabinet. His own oath-taking was also delayed by 14 days as Omar Cheema had refused to administer the oath to the chief minister elect. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had sent a summary to the president on May 7 for appointment of Balighur Rehman as the new governor.

Cheema was appointed as governor on April 3 after the removal of Ch Mohammad Sarwar who was unceremoniously shown the door by the president for alleged violation of party discipline.

Chief Justice Lahore High Court Muhammad Ameer Bhatti administered the oath to Muhammad Balighur Rehman in a simple but impressive ceremony held at the Governor House. Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Mohammad Mazari also attended the ceremony, besides senior PML-N and PPP leaders. Punjab Chief Secretary, IGP and senior civil servants were also present.

 Balighur Rehman belongs to Bahawalpur a remote district of south Punjab. He was elected MNA from this district twice in 2008 and 2013. He also served a term as State Minister for Education from 2013 to 2018 in the cabinets of Mian Nawaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. He is an electrical engineer.

 The president had rejected the first summary but surprisingly approved his name in the second one on Monday.

 Meanwhile, a small Punjab cabinet was also sworn in later Monday night. Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman administered the oath. Former Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Mohammad Iqbal, Sardar Awais Leghari, Malik Mohammad Ahmad Khan, Khawaja Salman Rafique, Syed Hassan Murtaza (PPP), Ali Haidar Gilani (PPP) Attaullah Tarar and Ch Bilal Asghar (Independent member) took oath as provincial minister. Their portfolios will be allocated later. Sources, however, disclosed that Mohammad Ahmad Khan will be allocated a portfolio of law department, Awais Leghari will get Local Government and Khawaja Salman Rafique will be minister in charge of Health Department. Attaullah Tarar is not an MPA, but he can work as minister for six months without being a member of Punjab Assembly, according to the constitution. He may be elected as a member in the upcoming by-elections. Currently, he is acting as spokesperson to the Punjab government.

The MPAs who are likely to be inducted as ministers in the second phase include Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman (Finance), Bilal Yasin (Food) Imran Nazir (Health), Rana Mashhood (Education), Khalil Tahir (Minority Affairs), Zakia Shahnawaz and Azma Zahid Bukhari. The PPP leadership has also recommended the names of Mumtaz Ali Chand and Shazia Abid for induction in the provincial cabinet. Another independent member Jugnu Mohsin and head of Rah-e-Haq Party Muawiyah Tariq may also join the cabinet in the second phase.