Who will replace Aleem?

LAHORE: The sudden arrest of Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, who was also holding the portfolio of an important ministry of local government has given rise to several speculations regarding his replacement in Punjab cabinet.

There are speculations whether the new local government minister would be a PTI stalwart or an MPA of PML-Q, a major ally of Tehreek-e-Insaf in Punjab and Centre.

PTI is the largest party in Punjab Assembly with 179 seats and PML-Q has 10 MPAs. Without PML-Q, it is impossible for PTI to get simple majority in PA which is attained at the figure of 186 and this puts Q League in a very strong bargaining position to clinch the local government minister.

Among the PTI MPAs, the name of former State Minister Syed Sumsam Bokhari has been doing round for the last many days in a possible cabinet expansion. However, with the arrest of Abdul Aleem Khan, there are brighter chances for Sumsam Bokhari as he is among the most experienced politicians in the current lot of MPAs. Although Saeed Niwani, a PTI MPA from Bhakker, had returned to the PA for the 8th term, yet Sumsam, despite losing general elections many times in his career, somehow enjoys good relations with the current leadership of Tehreek-e-Insaf.

Moreover, owing to his spiritual following in the area of Okara, he also has good relationships with the family of first lady of Pakistan, Bushra Bibi. Sumsam Bokhari lost the 2002 general elections as an independent candidate with a very thin margin to PML-Q’s Syed Gulzar Sibtain Shah. He was elected as MNA in 2008 general elections on PPP ticket, after which, he was made minister for state for information and broadcasting. He was seen defending Asif Ali Zardari, the then President, most of the time. Sumsam lost the 2013 general elections with a big margin.

He joined PTI in 2016 and was made secretary information of Punjab chapter. He was fielded from Okara but lost once again the National Assembly election. However, he was fortunate to get the PTI ticket for a provincial assembly seat by-poll in Sahiwal and he won that seat.

In the PTI ranks, his name seems at the top now. This is noteworthy that another independent MPA from Okara, Jugnoo Mohisn has still kept her independent status. Jugnoo has defeated the group of former Provincial Minister Syed Afzal Shah Gilani, whose son Raza Ali Gilani, also a former provincial minister, lost election to Jugnoo. However, it is unlikely that she would join Imran Khan or get any role in Punjab cabinet.

On the other hand, PML-Q, with 10 MPAs in the House has already developed differences with PTI recently over the issue of its share in Cabinet but sources said its main focus had been towards Centre where its leadership wants a ministry for Chaudhry Moonis Elahi.

Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, one of the 10 PML-Q MPAs from Punjab, is already the PA Speaker, whereas Ammar Yasir, the minister for mines and minerals, has recently resigned. It means, currently, there is no PML-Q minister.

PML-Q is quite likely to ask for the lucrative ministry like local government for any of its MPAs, among whom, the most potential candidates are Ammar Yasir of Chakwal and Bau Rizwan of Sialkot. Rizwan has sided with PML-Q for around two decades and won three PA elections, once as independent candidate and twice on PML-Q ticket. He was among those who had sided with Chaudhrys at a time when most of the elected MPAs from Punjab joined the forward bloc.