Pakistan Views

As many as 14 ministers, including six from the PPP, will take oath of their office in the first phase of the Punjab cabinet today (Tuesday).The PML-N ministers will take oath from Governor Khalid Maqbool while wearing black armbands like their federal counterparts who took oath from President Gen Pervez Musharraf the same way as a mark of protest.The oath will be administered at the Governor’s house at around 5.30pm. Sources said PML-N ministers, who take oath, include Rana Sanaullah Khan, Malik Ahmed Ali Aulakh, Nadeem Kamran, Mian Ahsanuddin Qureshi, Kamran Micheal, Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, Malik Iqbal Chanar and Chaudhry Ghafoor. The portfolios of the PML-N ministers would be announced later. PPP’s Raja Riaz had already taken oath as the senior minister. PPP members include Tanvir Ashraf Kaira (minister for planning & development), Dr Tanvirul Islam (minister for health), Malik Ashraf Sohna (minister for labour and manpower), Farooq Ghurki (minister for communications & works), Haji Muhammad Ishaq (minister for revenue/excise & taxation) and Neelum Jabbar Chaudhry (minister for social welfare & women development). Meanwhile, a notification of two advisers, Pervez Rashid and Najma Hameed, of the PML-N is also expected to be issued on Tuesday. Parliamentarians from Lahore are expected to dominate the cabinet as four out of 15 ministers belong to the provincial metropolis.

District coordination officers (DCOs) have been appointed in eight districts of Punjab. The DCOs, who have been appointed, are Asim Iqbal in Khushab, Chaudhry Mohammad Ashraf in Toba Tek Singh, Farhan Aziz in Okara, Shahryar Sultan in Sargodha, Raheel Siddiqui in Rahimyar Kahan, Mohammad Khan Khachi in Sahiwal and Qazi Ashraf in Khanewal. According to the sources, notification of the appointment of these DCOs has been issued.

The 14th Punjab Assembly on Friday elected unopposed Rana Muhammad Iqbal as its Speaker and Rana Mushood Ahmad as Deputy Speaker. Speaker Muhammad Afzal Sahi administered oath to newly elected Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal, who later administered the oath to Deputy Speaker Rana Mushood Ahmad. Speaking after the oath taking, Sahi said Rana Muhammad Iqbal was fully capable to handle the assembly proceedings. Earlier, two MPAs of Forward Group of PML-Q, Najaf Sial and Muhammad Arshad Jutt, withdrew their candidatures for the slots of speaker and deputy speaker, paving the way for the PML-N candidates to be elected unopposed. The PML-Q, protesting against manhandling of former Sindh chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim in Sindh Assembly, and later harsh treatment meted to former federal minister Dr Sher Afgan Niazi in Lahore, boycotted the election proceedings. Meanwhile, newly elected Speaker vowed to request the ML-Q to end their boycott in the best interest of democracy. Speaker Iqbal, who is son of veteran late politician Rana Phool Mohammad, speaking on the occasion, vowed to take opposition along with them. He averred that after completion of election process, standing committees of the assembly would start functioning. Deputy Speaker Rana Mushood Ahmad, in his address, stated that during last eight Years, authoritarian elements had tried their best to block entry of the popular leadership in the country. He said that conspiracies, staking place in the presidency, would be deterred and rule of law would prevail. Meanwhile, Dost Muhammad Khosa, candidate for the slot of Punjab chief minister, submitted his nomination papers before Secretary of the Assembly. Earlier, three provincial legislators Waliyat Shah Khagga, Ata Manika and Moazzam Asid, took oath. Later, the house was adjourned to meet on Saturday to elect the new chief minister.

A 500 KV power transmission line has been tripped in Gati area of Muzzafargarh on Tuesday morning causing shut down of Tarbela, Mangla and Ghazi Brotha power houses.
Power supply to several cities of Punjab has been suspended.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Central leader and premiership hopeful Makhdoom Amin Faheem has said that he was a candidate for the prime minister slot, while the PPP MNA elect Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar contested that Makhdoom was never offered the premiership. In the Geo News program ‘Who would be the prime minister’, Makhdoom Amin Fahim said that the prime minister should be from Sindh and he was the candidate for this post. He said that he was a senior member of the party besides Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari had also offered him the PM slot. On the other hand, Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar insisted that the PM should be from Punjab. He also claimed to be a senior member of the party, as his family was persistently associated with the Bhutto family since 1967. He also challenged that Makhdoom Amin Fajeem was ever offered to become PM.

Punjab Rangers Deputy Director General (DDG), Brigadier Qaisar Khan Tareen said that strong contingents of Rangers have been posted in the 26 districts of Punjab and orders given for on the spot shooting the militants found involved in sabotaging the election process.

Addressing a press conference here, Brigadier Qaiser Khan Tareen said that Rangers have been posted in the 26 districts of Punjab. He said that the elements breaching law and order would be dealt with severely and orders have been given for on the spot shooting of those found involved in sabotaging elections and polling process.

Punjab Rangers DDG said that those showing off weapons during the polling would be arrested and their weapons along with the licenses would be forfeited. He said that the Rangers would also help the police besides taking actions against the anti-social elements themselves. Rangers’ spokesman told that the Punjab Rangers DG, Major General Haroon Aslam was reviewing law and order situation across the province.

On the other hand, Lahore CCPO, Malik Muhammad Iqbal and Sahiwal DPO, Syed Javed Shah have banned carrying weapon, dagger, knife, baton and other assault materials under Police Order 2002 for ensuring law and order on February 17 and 18 in Lahore and Sahiwal.

Interior Secretary Punjab Khusro Pervez said that 4 suicide bombers have been entered into Punjab to target politicians.

In an exclusive chat with a Geo News correspondent, interior secretary said that a suicide bomber is arrested in district Jhang and a suicide jacket, weapons and explosives have been recovered from his possession.

During investigations, suicide bomber disclosed that 4 other suicide bombers have been entered into Punjab among which two has entered in Lahore and other two in Southern Pubjab to target politicians. However, he did not reveal the details of the suicide attack.

Punjab’s most of the districts including the provincial capital city here continued to remain under the spell of rains.

The new spate of light rains started from Saturday morning persisted overnight till today, resulting in the mercury further dipping down. The weather remains cloudy even today, while reports of rains from several areas poured in. Met. Department forecast light rain with strong winds all across Punjab during the next 24 hours. Lahore and Bhawalnagar during the last 12 hours recorded rain at 4.4 mm, Bhawalpur at 9, Faisalabad at 14, Islamabad at 2, Jhang at 3, Jhelum at 2 and maximum at Murree 15 mm of rains recorded. Persisting intermittent rains have submerged the different roads of the city by the accumulating rainwater here.

Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Ehsanullah said Saturday that the gas supply to 1250 small industries in Punjab and Sindh will be restored tonight after the gas supply ameliorated.

According to a press release issued from ministry of petroleum and natural resources here, 250 CNG stations of Punjab and NWFP will start receiving gas from tomorrow (Sunday).

He said further that the gas supply would be restored to the remaining industries also as the weather conditions improve.