Former interior minister likely to take oath as MPA

LAHORE: Former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan is likely to take oath as a member of Punjab Assembly this week, official informed media.

Nisar, who was elected MPA in the July 2018 general elections, has not yet taken oath of his office. According to official, he could be a strong contender for the post of Punjab chief minister if Usman Buzdar is removed from office.

Nisar contested as an independent candidate in the general election from NA-59 and NA-63, but lost to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Ghulam Sarwar Khan on both the seats. Although he won his provincial assembly seat, he has yet to take oath on it.

Official earlier said Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar to present him a list of provincial ministers who he believes are not performing as per expectations, a few days after a major reshuffle in his federal cabinet.

The premier reportedly gave a roadmap to the chief minister to assess the performance of provincial cabinet members and warned that he will not compromise over performance in Punjab.