LAHORE – Sardar Latif Khan Khosa was sworn in as the 27th Governor of Punjab on Thursday in an impressive ceremony that signalled the easing of tension between political allies in Punjab and the advent of reconciliatory politics in the province.
The ceremony was attended by top leaders of both the PPP and the PML-N, including Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Sardar Zulfiqar Khan Khosa, Rana Sana Ullah, Pervaiz Rashid and Pervaiz Malik.
The presence of PML-N heavyweights in the oath-taking ceremony underlined that confrontational politics between the uneasy coalition partners, spearheaded by former governor Salmaan Taseer, had come to an end. Khosa appeared calm and confident after taking oath, prior to which the Punjab chief minister met Khosa to congratulate him on being appointed the governor. The changing equation between the PPP and PML-N also reflected from the absence of the PML-Q’s Chaudhrys, who were only represented by a three-member delegation of Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Zaheerud Din, Mian Munir and Ahad Malik. LHC Chief Justice Ijaz Chaudhry administered the oath to Khosa in the historic Darbar Hall of the Governor’s House.
Leading stalwarts from the PPP, including Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, office bearers of the People’s Lawyers’ Forum and other important personalities attended the ceremony. Others who attended were Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo, Firdous Ashiq Awan, Jehangir Badr, Rana Iqbal, Fouzia Wahab, Imtiaz Warraich, Aitzaz Ahsan, Asif Hashmi, Dr Qayyum Soomro, Samina Ghurki, Ahmed Riaz Sheikh, Shabina Riaz Sheikh, Faiza Malik, Ghulam Abbas, Zafar Masood Bhatti, Akbar Khan, Tahir Khaliq, Samiullah Khan, Raja Riaz, Chaudhry Manzoor, US Counsel General Carmela Conroy and Pakistan Today Editor Arif Nizami.
Lahore Corps Commander General Rashid, Punjab Chief Secretary Nasir Mehmood Khosa, Punjab IGP Javed Iqbal, the Punjab advocate general, provincial ombudsman and high-ranking officials also attended the ceremony. Though the hall was packed to capacity with PPP leaders and other prominent personalities, the ceremony, contrary Salmaan Taseer’s oath-taking function, lacked party workers because they were barred from entering the Darbar Hall. However, the arrangement for PPP workers was made in the lawns of the Governor House. Following the ceremony, Khosa joined party workers in the lawns, telling them that the politics of reconciliation would continue. While pledging to continue the mission of Benazir Bhutto, Khosa said party workers would be integrated and Bhutto’s philosophy would be adopted in its true spirit.
