11-member Punjab caretaker Cabinet takes oath

LAHORE: An 11-member cabinet was sworn in as Punjab caretaker cabinet, which will serve till general elections take place in the province, ARY News reported on Thursday.

According to details, Governor Baligh Ur Rehman administered the oath to the newly-appointed cabinet members held at the Governor’s House. Caretaker chief minister (CM) Mohsin Naqvi was also present in the oath-taking ceremony.

The appointed members include Bilal Afzal, SM Tanveer, Dr Javed Akram, Ibrahim Murad, Dr Jamal Nasir, Mansoor Qadir, Syed Azfar Ali Nasir Amir Mir, Wahab Riaz, Tamkinat Karim and Naseem Sadiq.

The development came after the Punjab Assembly was dissolved constitutionally as Punjab Governor Baligh ur Rehman excused himself from signing the summary.

Taking to Twitter, Governor Punjab wrote: “I have decided not to become part of the process leading to the dissolution of Punjab Assembly.”

It is pertinent to mention here that Mohsin Naqvi took oath as the caretaker Punjab chief minister (CM) after nomination from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The chief election commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja held the key meeting of the ECP senior officials today to decide on the name for the caretaker Punjab chief minister.

The PTI-PML-Q alliance had suggested Naveed Akram Cheema and Ahmed Nawaz Sukhera’s names for the caretaker CM’s slot, whereas, the opposition tabled the names of Mohsin Naqvi and Ahad Cheema.

The parliamentary committee comprises of the government and the opposition members, failed to reach a consensus on the name for the caretaker Punjab chief minister slot on Friday.