Consultation begins to finalise Punjab cabinet members

LAHORE: Three top leaders of coalition parties have started consultations to finalise the names of cabinet members of Punjab Chief Minister-elect Hamza Shehbaz.

Sources say the consultation process among former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, former president Asif Ali Zardari and Jahangir Tareen has started and their decision will be final. The names of Akbar Nawani and Hassan Murtaza were under consideration for the speakership of the Punjab Assembly.

In the first phase, PMLN’s Azma Bukhari, Owais Leghari, Salman Rafique, Rana Mashood, Mujtaba Shuja, Bilal Yasin, Khalil Tahir and Aleem Khan could be included in the cabinet. The names of PPP’s Ali Haider Gilani, Mumtaz Ali Chand and Shazia Abid were forwarded to be included in the cabinet and Nauman Langrial and Ajmal Cheema from Jehangir Tareen’s group. Jugnu Mohsin and Muawiyah Tariq, who were elected as independents, will also join Hamza Shehbaz's cabinet in the first phase. In the second phase, more members from the coalition partners will be made a part of the cabinet.

Syed Hassan Murtaza, whose name is being considered as the Speaker Punjab Assembly, was born on April 25, 1967 at Chiniot. He is an agriculturist, who served as Member District Council, Jhang during 1991-92 and as Nazim, Union Council No.18 Jhang during 2001-02. He became Member Provincial Assembly of the Punjab during 2002-07 and then in 2008-13. He has returned to the Punjab Assembly for the third term in the 2018 general elections and is Parliamentary Leader of his political party in the House. He has extensively traveled abroad. His maternal grandfather, Sardar Ghulam Abbas, served as an MLA twice before partition.

The second name under consideration as Punjab Assembly Speaker is Saeed Akbar. He is a seasoned politician, born on June 8, 1955, at Bhakkar and graduated from the University of the Punjab, Lahore. He remained Member Punjab Assembly during 1985-90 and had successively been elected during 1993-2013. An agriculturist, he was elected as Member Provincial Assembly of Punjab for the seventh term in the last general elections.

Aleem Khan was born on March 5, 1972 in Lahore. He graduated in 1992 from the Government College, Lahore. A businessman, who served as Member Provincial Assembly of the Punjab during 2003-07 and Minister for Information Technology. He has returned to the Punjab Assembly for the second term in the last general elections. He worked as Minister for Local Government & Community Development during 2018-19 and as Senior Minister for Food from 2019-21. Azma Zahid Bukhari is PMLN’s Secretary Information Punjab. She was born on August 18, 1976 at Faisalabad. She obtained her LLB degree in 2000 from Pakistan Law College, Lahore. A practicing lawyer, who served as Member Provincial Assembly of the Punjab during 2002-07, 2008-13 and 2013-18. She served as Parliamentary Secretary for Culture & Youth Affairs during 2009-11, Chairperson Standing Committee on Law & Parliamentary Affairs during 2014-17 and Parliamentary Secretary for Information & Culture during 2017-18. She has returned to the assembly for the fourth consecutive term on seats reserved for women.

Awais Ahmad Leghari is the son of former President Farooq Ahmad Leghari and is Secretary General of PMLN. He was born on March 22, 1971 in Lahore. He obtained his B.A degree in 1994 from the University of Rochester, New York, USA. He first became Member Punjab Assembly during 1997-99 and then Member National Assembly during 2002-07, 2011-13 and 2013-18. He worked as Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications during 2002-04 and as Federal Minister for Power Division during 2017-18. He returned to the Punjab Assembly in by-elections held on October 14, 2018 against the seat vacated by Muhammad Khan Leghari, who had won both National and Provincial Assembly seats and opted for the NA seat.

Khawaja Salman Rafique is the younger brother of Khwaja Saad Raffique. He was born on February 16, 1965 in Lahore. He obtained the degree of BE (Mechanical Engineering) in 1990 from University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore. He was elected Member Provincial Assembly during 2008-13 and worked as Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Health. He was again elected in 2013 and served as Adviser to CM on Health during 2013-16 and as Minister for Specialized Health Care & Medical Education during 2016-18.

Rana Mashhood Ahmad of the PMLN was born on August 26, 1966 in Lahore. He graduated in law in 1991 from Punjab Law College, Lahore. A practicing lawyer, who served as General Secretary Lahore High Court Bar Association during 2001-02 and was also a Member of the International Bar Association. He remained Member Provincial Assembly for three consecutive terms during 2002-18 and served as Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker during 2008-13, Minister for Schools Education holding additional charge of Higher Education, Youth Affairs, Sports, Archaeology and Tourism during 2013-18. He was elected as Member Provincial Assembly of the Punjab for the fourth consecutive term in the last elections. His grandfather, Rana Inayat Khan was a Member of the Legislative Assembly, Kapurthala State.

Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rahman is also a stalwart of the PMLN in Punjab. He was born on September 17, 1967 in Lahore and obtained his MPA degree in 1993 from University of the Punjab, Lahore. A businessman, who served as Councillor, MCL during 1998-99, Chairman, Taxation Committee, MCL during 1999 and as Town Naib Nazim, Ravi Town City District Government, Lahore during 2001-02. He served as Member Provincial Assembly during 2002-07. He returned to the Punjab Assembly in 2008 and served as Minister for Excise & Taxation, Higher Education, Schools Education, Finance, Literacy & Non-Formal Basic Education and Transport Departments. He was again elected an MPA in 2013 and worked as Minister for Excise and Taxation, Finance and Law & Parliamentary Affairs. He has returned to the Punjab Assembly for the fourth consecutive term in the last general elections. His father served as Lord Mayor of Lahore during 1979-87.

Bilal Yasin was born on December 14, 1970 in Lahore. He graduated in 1990 from the University of the Punjab, Lahore. A politician and a businessman, who served as Vice Chairman, WASA, Lahore, during 1997-99. He remained Member Punjab Assembly during 2002-07, 2013-18 and worked as Minister for food during 2013-18 and as Member National Assembly during 2008-13. He was re-elected as Member Provincial Assembly for the third term in the last general elections in 2018.

Khalil Tahir Sandhu was born on May 23, 1967 at Toba Tek Singh and graduated in law in 1994 from the Punjab University Law College, Lahore, and a diploma holder in International Law and UN Systems from Geneva, Switzerland. A human rights activist and a practicing lawyer, who was first elected to the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab in 2008 and functioned as Parliamentary Secretary for Human Rights & Minorities Affairs and Law & Parliamentary Affairs. He was again elected as Member Punjab Assembly in 2013 and worked as Minister for Human Rights & Minorities Affairs (also held additional charge on Health during 2013. He has returned to this Assembly for the third consecutive term in 2018 against one of the eight seats reserved for non-Muslims and was working as Chairman Standing Committee on Human Rights & Minorities Affairs.

PPP’s Syed Ali Haider Gilani is the son of former Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and was born on April 10, 1986 in Lahore and passed A levels in 2006. An agriculturist, who has been elected as Member Provincial Assembly of the Punjab in General Elections 2018. He hails from acclaimed political and influential Sufi family of Multan and is a descendant of the Sufi saint Sayyid Musa Pak Shahid Gilani. His grandfather, Makhdoom Alamdar Hussain Gilani, who was a signatory to the Resolution of Pakistan, remained Member, Punjab Legislative Assembly during 1951-55 and held the portfolios of Minister for Medical and Public Health & Local Bodies, Health, Medical, Local Government & Buildings and Roads. He also served in second Constituent Assembly of Pakistan and functioned as Minister for Health Punjab during 1955-58 and Minister of State for Power & Works during 1958.

Mumtaz Ali Khan Chaang of the PPP was born on July 10, 1976 at Rahim Yar Khan and is a landlord and a contractor, who has been elected as Member, Provincial Assembly of the Punjab in the last general elections.

PPP’s Ms Shazia Abid was born on April 4, 1975 at Tehsil Jampur. She obtained her M.A and LLB degrees from Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan. She is a lawyer, who remained Member District Assembly Rajanpur during 2005-10 and President Tehsil Bar Jampur during 2015. She served as Member Punjab Assembly from November 2012 to March 2013. She has returned to the Assembly for the second term in General Elections 2018 against one of the seats reserved for women.

JKT group’s Nauman Ahmad Langrial was born on June 25, 1968, in Lahore and graduated in 1989. An agriculturist, who remained Member Provincial Assembly of the Punjab during 2002-07 and worked as Chairman Committee on Government Assurances. He also served as Member National Assembly of Pakistan during 2008-13 and Minister of State for Housing during 2012-13. He has been re-elected as Member Punjab Assembly for the second term in General Elections 2018 and worked as Minister for Management & Professional Development Department. He also functioned as Minister for Agriculture during 2018-2020.

Muhammad Ajmal Cheema was born on June 1, 1972, at Faisalabad. He graduated in 2002 from the University of the Punjab, Lahore. A businessman, who served as Nazim, Union Council No.7 for two consecutive terms during 2001-10 and as Member, Public Safety Commission during 2005-10. He has been elected as Member Provincial Assembly of the Punjab in General Elections 2018 and is serving as Minister for Chief Minister’s Inspection Team. He served as Minister for Social Welfare & Bait-ul-Maal during 2018-19.

Syeda Maimanat Mohsin, wife of senior journalist Najam Sethi, was born on September 19, 1958 in Lahore. She obtained her higher education from Cambridge University, UK, and graduated in 1980 and post-graduated in 1984 from there. Being a journalist, she has been working as a publisher and an editor of magazines since 1989 and has also been anchoring/hosting different programmes on TV channels. She is also a social worker and is running two trusts in Okara. She has been elected as Member Provincial Assembly of the Punjab in General Elections 2018. She belongs to a renowned political family and her many relatives are seasoned politicians/parliamentarians. Her uncle, Syed Sajjad Haider remained Member National Assembly during 1985-88, 1988-90, 1990-93, 1997-99; Member Punjab Assembly during 1993-96 and Zila Chairman. Her cousin, Syeda Abida Hussain remained Member, Provincial Assembly of the Punjab during 1972-77 and Member National Assembly during 1985-88, 1988-90, 1997-99 for three terms and also functioned as Minister of Food and Agriculture Population Control during 1997-99 and as Ambassador to USA during 1991-93. Her another cousin, Syed Fakhar Imam, a sitting MNA, remained Member National Assembly during 1985-88, 1990-93; worked as Speaker of National Assembly during 1985-86; her niece, Ms Syeda Sughra Imam served as Member Punjab Assembly during 2002-07 and as Minister for Social Welfare during 2003-04 and as Senator during 2009-15. Her another cousin, Syed Iftikhar Bokhari remained Senator during 1988-1991.

Muhammad Moavia Tariq was born on August 28, 1983 at Chichawatni. He obtained the degree of MA (Islamic Studies) in 2006 from Zikria International Islamic University, South Africa. A politician, who has been elected as Member Provincial Assembly of the Punjab in General Elections 2018. His father was Member of National Assembly during 1990-93, 1993-96 and 2002-03 and as Member of Punjab Assembly during 1997-99.