The composition of the Punjab cabinet has been finalized, with a notification expected to be issued shortly on Tuesday. The anticipated cabinet will comprise 16 members for now, with appointments from multiple political parties.
In the expected cabinet line-up, it has been decided to appoint 14 members from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), one from the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), and one from the PML-Q. Notably, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has opted not to be a part of the provincial cabinet.
Among the prominent names from the PML-N likely to be included in the cabinet are Marriyum Aurangzeb, Azma Bukhari, Khawaja Salman Rafique, Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, Bilal Yasin, Imran Nazir, Khizar Hayat Mazari, Sher Ali Gorchani, Ahmad Khan Leghari, Rahila Khadim Hussain. Sibtain Raza Bukhari, Ayub Gadhi, Faisal Khokhar, and Yawar Zaman.
Furthermore, the anticipated cabinet includes representatives from other political entities, such as Malik Ghazanfar Abbas Chheena from the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party and Chaudhry Shafay Hussain from the PML-Q.
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Earlier in the day, a high-level consultative meeting of senior PML-N leaders was held at the Sharifs’ Jati Umra residence to deliberate on different names for the Punjab cabinet.
The meeting was led by former prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif. The portfolios reportedly discussed during the meeting were information, finance, food, health, education, housing, and home, among others, as per sources.
The formation of the Punjab cabinet signals a significant step forward in governance and administration for the province, with diverse representation from various political parties poised to address the region's challenges and advance its development agenda.
On Monday, PML-N Senior Vice President and chief organiser Maryam Nawaz was elected as the first woman chief minister of Punjab. She is also the first woman to hold this office in any of the provinces in the country's history.
The Punjab Assembly's session to elect the new leader of the House was presided over by newly appointed Speaker Malik Ahmed Khan.
Maryam was elected with a huge majority of 220 votes as the opposition parties, led by the Sunni Ittehad Council, boycotted the proceedings. Hence, her competitor, SIC's Rana Aftab, could not bag a single vote.
