News Analysis |
The changes in the provincial cabinet have raised several speculations regarding Usman Buzdar’s competency as Chief Minister of Punjab. With the lack of attention directed towards the Punjab region, has led to these reshufflings to counter the rising problems. How effective will these changes prove? Only time can tell.
Local media reported on Friday that the government of Punjab has made large-scale reshuffles in the provincial cabinet. The changes were expected after the chief minister met the prime minister a day before. The decision was made public after Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Lahore visit on Thursday and meetings with Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and Governor Chaudhary Sarwar.
The current government is focusing on social media related news and taking actions accordingly.
Prime Minister Khan discussed the overall situation of Punjab and the matters related to the development and public welfare in the province with chief minister Usman Buzdar. The Premier was reportedly briefed regarding the measures taken by the Punjab government to deal with the damages caused by heavy rains.
According to sources, Mian Aslam Iqbal has been given additional charge of the provincial Information and Culture ministries to replace Syed Sumsam Bukhari.
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Punjab Minister for Industries, Commerce & Investment Mian Aslam Iqbal given additional charge of Information & Culture ministry#DunyaNews #Dunyaupdates
— Dunya News (@DunyaNews) July 19, 2019
Aslam Iqbal, who was holding provincial portfolios of Industries, Commerce and Investment will now also entrusted the ministries of information and culture, sources revealed. Provincial Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs, Local Bodies and Community Development Basharat Raja has been assigned the Ministry of Social Welfare and Bait-Ul-Mal, according to the sources.
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Provincial Minister for Sports, Muhammad Taimur Khan, has been given the tourism department while Mohammad Ajmal has been made a Member of the Chief Minister’s Inspection Team. The performance of the Buzdar-led government in Punjab has been a big challenge for the PTI to defend. The government has largely failed to materialize its promises of change and human development.
The decision was made public after Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Lahore visit on Thursday and meetings with Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and Governor Chaudhary Sarwar.
Many people now believe that the incumbent government in Punjab lacks fresh thinking and new ideas to deal with the perennial and complex issues. Experts and political commentators are not quite satisfied with the performance of the CM Punjab. According to a recent notification issued by the Punjab government, it has now 38 spokespersons.
The notification was ridiculed by many social media users who maintained that the government must focus on performance, not on its image management without delivery of services. Punjab government is also accused of blessing anyone joined the party after winning the elections as independent either as minister or spokespersons of adviser. It has raised some serious questions for the future of CM Buzdar.
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As a matter of fact, there is no change in police. The PTI promised before coming into power to reform police and to make it a model institution. But after assuming the offices, the party has failed to introduce any change which might have impacted the performance of the police across the province. It has disappointed many of PTI’s supporters who were expecting to live in the Naya Pakistan.
Local Bodies and Community Development Basharat Raja has been assigned the Ministry of Social Welfare and Bait-Ul-Mal, according to the sources.
Ayaz Amir, a prominent journalist, recently noted that there is no denying that the incumbent government is facing economic challenges but who has stopped Usman Buzdar to reform police? Similarly, there has been no substantial change in health sector where the current minister tried to introduce some projects but they were initiated by the PML-N. The PTI has failed in Punjab to introduce any structural change to upgrade health facilities in public hospitals.
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What does reshuffling mean?
Although several changes have been made by CM Buzdar to ensure better governance in the province, yet there are slim chances of any big changes due to the ineffective political system created by the new administration. The current government is focusing on social media related news and taking actions accordingly. It is important to note that there is no policy for the long run to institutionalize the change in Punjab under the headship of Usman Buzdar.