Punjab Governor Baleegh-ur-Rehman on Saturday administered oath to the new provincial cabinet at Governor House in Lahore. Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was also present at the oath-taking ceremony. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders including Dr Yasmin Rashid, Raja Basharat, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Murad Ras and others took the oath. In the new cabinet, the Finance portfolio has been given to Mohsin Leghari; the home and prisons department has been put under the control of retired Col Hashim Dogar; law and parliamentary affairs to Khurram Virk; Dr Yasmin Rashid has been retained as health minister, Raja Yasir Humayun as higher education and IT minister and Murad Raas as school education minister. Former home and law minister Basharat Raja has been assigned the cooperatives and prosecution portfolio; Asif Nikai has been selected for the excise and taxation department, while Ali Sahi was given the communication and works (C&W) department. Taimur Malik will lead sports and culture, Ansar Niazi (Labour), Muneeb Cheema (Transport), Shahabuddin Sehar (Livestock), Nawabzada Mansur Khan (Revenue), Jahanian Gardezi (Agriculture), Ghazananfar Abbas Chheena (social welfare), Latif Nazar (Mines and Minerals), Hasnanim Dareshak (Energy and food), Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed (Local Government), Mian Aslam Iqbal (Housing and Industries) and Ali Abbas Shah (Forest and Wildlife).
Omar Sarfraz Cheema has been selected as an adviser to chief minister on information. In the television footage of the ceremony, chants of “Ayi ayi, PTI” (here comes PTI) rung out immediately after the leaders took oath.
