In first phase, eight-member Punjab cabinet sworn in

LAHORE: An eight-member Punjab cabinet of CM Hamza Shahbaz has finally taken oath at the Governor House in the first phase.

Newly appointed Punjab Governor Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman administered the oath to the provincial ministers late at night on Monday.

The cabinet members include Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan, Sardar Owais Khan Leghari, Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, Khawaja Salman Rafique, Syed Hassan Murtaza, Ataullah Tarar, Chaudhry Bilal Asghar and Ali Hider Gillani.

However, their portfolios will be announced later.

Hamza Shahbaz took the oath as chief minister on April 30, almost two weeks after he won the election, due to the refusal of the then governor to administer the oath to the PML-N leader.

The provincial government had delayed the formation of the cabinet, waiting for the new governor to assume office whose appointment was approved by the president earlier in the day.

Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti administered the oath to Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman as the new Governor of Punjab.

Soon after, Governor Baligh administered the oath to the new cabinet members.

Punjab’s Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal read out the notification regarding the appointments of the provincial ministers.

Chief Minister Punjab Hamza Shahbaz and other high-ups were present on the occasion. The CM Punjab also felicitated the new cabinet members.

After the oath-taking ceremony, Hamza vowed to solve issues of the people and said, “our motive is to serve mankind.”

“We will move ahead with new hope and spirit and our first and last priority is to solve the issues of the masses,” he said.