LAHORE – The PML-N government in Punjab has decided to induct as many as four ministers in the provincial cabinet from the Unification Bloc after seeing off the PPP from the provincial cabinet. Unification Bloc sources claimed on Saturday that the induction was likely to be made on February 24.
They said the PML-N leadership had agreed on conferring four ministries to the bloc against the demand of six portfolios in the provincial cabinet. They said all was set to bring the bloc into the Punjab government and the members from the group might be allocated the Health Department, Local Government, Social welfare Department and Revenue Department.
Regarding the names of the expected ministers from the Unification Bloc, they said group parliamentary leader Dr Tahir Ali Javed, Mian Atta Maneka, Dr Mukhtar Bharat and Saba Sadiq might get the ministries. However, they said the names of Chaudhry Arshad, Ayesha Javaid and Nazim Lodhi were also under consideration.
Meanwhile, the PPP would withdraw its review petition against the dismissal of the Punjab government if its ministers are ousted from the provincial cabinet by the PML-N. The party also decided to challenge the stay order in case the PML-N made such a move, and would also ask Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to get a vote of confidence.
PPP sources said the PPP had worked out a reprisal policy against the Punjab government in retaliation to the expected move of sacking its ministers after February 23. PPP Labour Minister Ashraf Sohna said if Shahbaz wanted our ministers to do away with the Punjab government, he had to announce the dissolution of the cabinet.
He said PPP Senior Minister Raja Riaz had held a consultative meeting with party ministers during which it was decided that PPP would remain in the Punjab government until PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif asked PPP ministers to leave the cabinet. However, the party would prepare itself to sit on opposition benches meanwhile, Sohna added.
Federal Minister for Environment and PPP Lahore president Samina Khalid Ghurki said democracy would suffer if the PML-N initiated unconstitutional steps in the province. She said the PPP was supporting the PML-N in the province for democracy and in pursuance of its reconciliation policy.
