LAHORE, Dec 12: After a delay of around seven months, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday finally approved appointment of 35 Punjab Assembly members as parliamentary secretaries for different departments.

Ijaz Noon has been appointed as parliamentary secretary for agriculture; Saqlain Anwar Sipra, Auqaf and religious affairs; Lt-Col (retired) Shujaat, colonies, provincial disaster management authority (PDMA); Mahmood Qadir Leghari, Chief Minister's Inspection Team (CMIT); Naeem Bhabha, communication and works (C&W); Shaheen Ashfaq, cooperative; Khurram Gulfam, energy; Akmal Saif Chattha, environment; Mian Munir, Excise & Taxation; Asadullah, food; Fida Wattoo, forestry, wildlife; Imran Nazir, health; Mehwish Sultana, higher education; Ijaz Achalana, home; Sajjad Haider, HUD&PHE and Tariq Masih Gill, human rights & minorities, says a notification.

Imran Khalid Butt will represent industries & commerce; Rana Arshad, information & culture; Khalid Jujja, irrigation; Mian Naveed, labour & human resource; Nazar Gondal, law & parliamentary affairs; Atif Mazari, literacy & non-formal basic education; Ghulam Nizamuddin Sialvi, livestock & dairy development; Ramzan Siddique Bhatti, local government; Haider Mehdi, management & professional development; Ahmed Karim Qaswar Langrial, planning & development; Naghma Mushtaq, population welfare; Joyce Rofin Julius, school education; Asghar Manda, S&GAD; Ilyas Ansari, social welfare and Baitul Mal; Aamer Talal Gopang, special education; Nawaz Chohan, transport; Rashida Yaqoob, women development; Sarfraz Afzal, youth affairs, archaeology and tourism; while Raja Awais for Zakat and ushr.

The parliamentary secretaries represent their respective departments in the assembly in the absence of the relevant minister.