Reshuffle in Punjab

Less than 10 days after it was appointed, Chief Minister Punjab Ch. Parvez Elahi Reshuffle in Punjab the provincial cabinet changing portfolios of several provincial ministers including PTI leaders Yasmin Rashid and Raja Basharat. It is considered audacious on the part of the CM who heads a minority ministry to dictate his terms on his majority partners. It was reported that the 21-member cabinet of the PTI-PML-Q coalition government, comprising all PTI leaders, was notified just last week after it was finalised by PTI Chairman Imran Khan. The names so finalised were handed over to the chief minister’s son, MNA Moonis Elahi. It was also reported that Moonis assured the majority partners that after getting the office of the CM PMLQ his party requires nothing more but then occurred this sudden turnaround. Interestingly, no justification was given for the reshuffle. Ch Parvez Elahi is widely known to be a tough customer and his intrinsic loyalties are with the decisive segments of power play in the country. He has already created difficulties for his majority partners in the case of Shahbaz Gill whereby he publicly decried his utterances without mincing words thereby making it clear where his interests lie. TW