PML-Q gets one more ministry in Punjab

LAHORE Just a day after Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan resigned following his arrest by National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q), major coalition partner of PTI in Punjab, has got one more ministry.

Bau Rizwan, the Pakistan Muslim League-Q MPA elected from Sialkot for third term in the 2018 general elections, will take oath as provincial minister in the cabinet of Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar. His portfolio is yet to be decided.

The PML-Q has 10 MPAs in Punjab and Rizwan will be the second Q-leaguer to take oath as minister after Hafiz Ammar Yasir. Hafiz Ammar has recently resigned after the alleged interference of Secretary to Chief Minister Raheel Siddiqi in his ministry but the CM is yet to accept his resignation. Sources stated that cabinet expansion is being done to sort out differences with Pakistan Muslim League-Q without whose support, PTI, a party with 179 MPAs in the House could lose majority.To attain simple majority in PA, a House that comprised of total 371 members, the government needs the support of PML-Q.

Already, the Pakistan Muslim League-Q Parliamentary leader in Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is the PA Speaker and with the induction of Rizwan into the cabinet, three out of 10 MPAs of PML-Q have been accommodated by the government on important positions. In Centre as well, the PML-Q is likely to get a ministry in form of either Chaudhry Moonis Elahi, son of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi or Chaudhry Saalik Hussain, son of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, the party President.

Sources stated that Pakistan Muslim League-Q in Centre wants ministry from the sectors of Commerce, Textile and Industry. Currently, Abdul Razak Dawood is holding the office of Adviser of Commerce, Textile and Industry.

This is noteworthy that Bau Rizwan, the PML-Q MPA taking oath on Friday (today) is the second most experienced member amongst 10 Q-leaguers in Punjab Assembly after Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. Bau Rizwan won the MPA seat in 2002 general elections as an independent candidate from Sialkot and joined PML-Q. He won the 2008 general elections also and got elected MPA on PML-Q ticket. He was one of the few MPAs who continued to side with Chaudhrys instead of joining the Pakistan Muslim League-Q forward bloc which was joined by around 60 MPAs out of total 84. Rizwan lost the 2013 general elections but returned to the PA for third term, once again on Pakistan Muslim League-Q ticket from Sialkot.

Another MPA from Sialkot, Muhammad Akhlaque is also a cabinet member but he belongs to PTI.