Pakistan News: Maryam Nawaz To Unveil 20-Member Punjab Cabinet: How Many Women Will Be Included?

Published: Wednesday, February 28, 2024, 17:15 [IST]

Consultations regarding the formation of a provincial cabinet in Punjab are underway by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, with a report by Pakistan-based news outlet Dawn indicating the likelihood of announcing a 20-member cabinet this week.

Talks have been held between Nawaz and her party, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N), with Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid) (PML-Q), Pakistan People's Party (PPP), and Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), signaling potential inclusion of elected representatives from these parties into the cabinet.

Former central ministers Rana Sanaullah, Pervaiz Rashid, and Marriyum Aurangzeb are expected to assume key roles within the provincial cabinet. Sanaullah and Rashid are slated to be inducted as special assistants or advisers to the CM due to their non-membership in the Punjab Province Assembly. Sanaullah, with past experience as the provincial law minister from 2013 to 2018, may assume significant responsibilities within either the provincial law ministry or the home ministry.

Conversely, Rashid's portfolio remains uncertain, with speculations suggesting a potential return to the Pakistan senate. Ego clashes may arise between Sanaullah and Rashid, considering their strained relationship as senior PML-N leaders. Meanwhile, Azma Bokhari and Marriyam Aurangzeb, both inducted into the assembly on reserved seats for women, are expected to hold important portfolios, with Bokhari leading the information ministry. PPP, PML-Q, and IPP allies, along with their lawmakers, are anticipated to join the cabinet later, albeit without significant portfolios.

Pakistan's Punjab province Cabinet Talks Begins

Here's what we know:

Consultations for the formation of a Cabinet in Pakistan's Punjab province under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz have commenced within the ruling PML-N, with talks being held with allied parties.
A 20-member Cabinet is likely to be formed in the first phase this week, according to a media report.
The PML-N leadership also engaged in discussions with allied parties - PPP, PML-Q, and Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP), which are expected to receive ministries in the cabinet in the second phase.
Maryam Nawaz, aged 50, holds the distinction of being the first woman chief minister of a province in Pakistan's history.
The meeting was chaired by three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who nominated his younger brother to be the prime minister when a coalition federal government was formed.
Senior PML-N leaders Rana Sanaullah, Pervaiz Rashid, and Marriyum Aurangzeb are anticipated to be accommodated in the provincial cabinet.
Sanaullah and Rashid are expected to be inducted as special assistants or advisers to the chief minister, as they are not members of the Punjab Assembly.
Sanaullah, known for his proximity to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, is anticipated to receive the coveted portfolios of home and law.
Rashid's portfolio remains unclear, but reports suggest he may be sent back to the Senate, with the final decision resting with Nawaz Sharif.
Azma Bokhari is slated to be appointed as the information minister, while Aurangzeb, brought from the center to assist the chief minister, is also expected to receive an important ministry.
Both Bokhari and Aurangzeb were inducted into the assembly on reserved seats for women.
Lawmakers from PPP, PML-Q, and IPP, to be inducted into the cabinet later, may not receive significant ministries.
Maryam Nawaz met with the provincial bureaucracy at the Civil Secretariat in Lahore on Tuesday.