As anticipation grows surrounding the formation of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz‘s cabinet, reports in local media reveals that the provincial cabinet is expected to comprise around two dozen members.
Among them, approximately fifteen will serve as ministers, with the remainder taking on advisory and special assistant roles.
Maryam Nawaz’s cabinet takes oath today
The oath-taking ceremony for the new cabinet is officially confirmed for today at 4 pm at the Governor House.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the source discloses that two plans were initially under consideration for the cabinet’s induction – one involving the phased introduction of ministers and advisers, and the other opting for a single ceremony.
Key Figures in Maryam Nawaz’s Anticipated Cabinet
Pervez Rashid: A longstanding associate of Maryam Nawaz, anticipated to serve as an adviser to the chief minister.
Marriyum Aurangzeb: Expected to be appointed as the Senior Provincial Minister, leading the departments of Planning and Development, Investment, and Forests and Wildlife.
Azma Bukhari: Likely to head the Ministry of Information and Culture.
Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman: Expected to be appointed to the Ministry of Excise and Taxation.
Rana Sanaullah: Initially expected to assist in managing provincial bureaucracy, but the source suggests it is unlikely, with considerations for a position at the Centre.
Rana Sikandar Hayat: Anticipated to be the Minister for School Education.
Chaudhry Shafiq Hussain: Appointed as the Minister for Industries.
Ramesh Singh Arora: Under consideration for the position of Minister for Minority Affairs.
Khalil Tahir Sindhu: Expected to be the Minister for Human Rights.
Sher Ali Gorchani: Likely to become the Minister for Mines and Minerals.
Khawaja Salman Rafique: Set to oversee the Specialized Health Department.
Khawaja Imran Nazir: Expected to manage the Primary and Secondary Health Department.
Zeshan Rafique: Likely to be given responsibilities in the local government sector.
Sohaib Barth: Expected to be appointed as the Minister for Transport.
These potential appointments paint a picture of Maryam Nawaz’s diverse and experienced cabinet, encompassing individuals with backgrounds in various sectors. The confirmed oath-taking ceremony is poised to mark a significant moment in Punjab’s political landscape.
Maryam Nawaz – the first-ever woman CM of Punjab
For the first time in Pakistan’s political scene, the province of Punjab welcomed its first woman Chief Minister, Maryam Nawaz, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The daughter of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, took the office of Punjab Chief Minister in the end of February.
Securing her victory by defeating the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed candidate from Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan — who failed to collect a single vote — Maryam beat her political opponent by 220 votes.
In her maiden speech in Punjab’s Provincial Assembly after securing the chief minister election and taking oath, Maryam said, “victory of every woman, every mother, every sister.”
“Today, this victory is not just mine. It is the victory of every woman, every mother…and I hope I am not the last. This victory for women should continue even after me,” the 50-year-old said in the Punjab Assembly session.
“My competition is not with anyone else but with greats from my own party – Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif (her uncle who is set to be Pakistan’s Prime Minister). Since the day I was nominated as Punjab’s CM, Nawaz Sharif saab has been holding discussions with me on our plan for Punjab for the next five years. It’s not easy to take over their legacy. But I have decided that I have to perform over and above the expectations,” she added.
“I am also the Wazir-e-Ala of those people who did not vote for me. My doors, my hearts, my office will always be open for the Opposition and everyone else 24×7,” she said.
The political party, PML-N, secured 137 seats in the Punjab Assembly while independents backed by former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) gained 113 seats in the recently held general elections.
