Aleem Khan rejoins Punjab cabinet

F.P. Report

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Aleem Khan was sworn in as provincial minister at a ceremony at Governor’s House, Lahore on Monday.

Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar administered the oath to the MPA from Lahore. Chief Minister Usman Buzdar was also present on the occasion.

Aleem Khan will likely be given the portfolios of local government and food.

The leader took oath of his new post at a simple ceremony in Governor House Lahore. It was attended by only 11 people including Chief Secretary Punjab, Information Minister Fayyaz ul Hassan Chohan, Provincial Ministers Chaudhry Zaheer ud Din, Mian Khalid Mehmood and Abdul Aleem Khan’s family members.

It is pertinent to mention that Aleem Khan had previously resigned from Punjab Cabinet after his arrest by Natioanal Accountability Bureau (NAB) in a corruption and assets beyond means case. His new portfolio has not been decided as yet.

He was released from Kot Lakhpat jail last year in May following bail granted by the Lahore High Court in the NAB case. He stepped down from the local government minister’s position after the corruption watchdog arrested him.

He remained in the custody of the bureau from Feb 7 to March 5 and then was sent to jail on judicial remand. He remained incarcerated for 73 days and was finally granted post-arrest bail by the high court on May 17.

NAB had accused Aleem Khan of being involved in acts of corruption and corrupt practices by way of accumulating assets beyond known sources of income within Pakistan and outside.