Punjab’s 18-member cabinet sworn in

LAHORE: The 18-member cabinet of Punjab took the oath on Wednesday here at the Governor’s House. Governor Balighur Rehman administered the oath to the members of the Punjab cabinet, with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz present at the ceremony. Among those who took the oath were Maryam Aurangzeb, Azma Bukhari, Ashiq Hussain Kirmani, Bilal Yasin, Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, Sohail Shaukat Butt, Salman Rafique, Khawaja Imran Nazir, Zeeshan Rafique, Malik Sahib Ahmed, Sher Ali Gurchani, Ramesh Singh Arora, and Khalil Tahir Sindhu.

Azma Bukhari was appointed as provincial minister for information, Syed Muhammad Ashiq Hussain Shah will head agriculture, Muhammad Kazim Pirzada was appointed as provincial minister for irrigation, Rana Sikandar Hayat was appointed as provincial minister for school education, literacy and non-formal basic, Khwaja Imran Nazir was appointed as provincial minister for primary health, Khwaja Salman Rafique was appointed as provincial minister for specialized healthcare department and health emergency 1122, Zeeshan Rafique was appointed as provincial minister for local govt and community development, Bilal Akbar Khan was appointed as provincial minister for transport, Sohaib Ahmed Malik was appointed as provincial minister for civil and works, Bilal Yasin was appointed as provincial minister for food, Ramesh Singh Arora was appointed as provincial minister for minorities, Khalil Tahir was appointed as provincial minister for human rights, Faisal Ayub was appointed as provincial minister for sports, Shafay Hussain was appointed as provincial minister for commerce and industry, Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani was appointed as provincial minister for mines and minerals, Sohail Shoukat Butt was appointed as provincial minister for social welfare and Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman was appointed as provincial minister for finance.

The newly formed Punjab cabinet reflects a diverse composition, including two female ministers and two provincial ministers from minority communities.

Mariyyum Aurangzeb was appointed senior minister and will head the departments of planning and development and special initiatives among others.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, in a media briefing after the ceremony, expressed her commitment to serving the people of Punjab, echoing the vision of her father and uncle. She emphasized the government’s focus on creating a conducive environment for investors, ensuring swift business establishment procedures and providing security to encourage investment in the province.

Addressing concerns about drug use in educational institutions, Maryam Nawaz highlighted the government’s priority to address this issue promptly. The chief minister also announced initiatives to revamp the health card policy, aiming to make it more accessible to the poor while introducing privilege cards for affluent individuals.

In her first press conference, Maryam Nawaz underscored the government’s commitment to introduce the largest Ramazan Nigahban Package in the province’s history. The package aims to provide relief to people at their doorstep during the holy month of Ramazan. The swift implementation of the Ramazan Relief Package, developed under the guidance of Nawaz Sharif, will benefit over three crore people in Punjab.

The chief minister said, “People of Punjab will no longer have to stand in queues during Ramazan to get their right.” She added 65,000 bags with QR codes will be provided under the programme. More than three crore people of Punjab will benefit from Ramazan Relief package.

Maryam Nawaz reiterated her dedication to her duties, vowing to address legitimate criticism while confronting those spreading chaos or creating obstacles for the people.

Maryam said she wanted to deliver like her father and uncle. She said the government will also provide tax free zones and complete security to the investors so that the Punjab could become a hub of investment.