LAHORE: Amid anxious moments for potential candidates for the Punjab chief minister and ministers, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has given yet another deadline – now ranging from one week to 10 days.

For the past one week, the candidates and their supporters have been lobbying for the coveted slots. The party leaders had earlier announced that the chief minister would be announced within 48 hours but now they say it may take more time as Imran Khan is busy in forming the federal government.

Party’s central information secretary Fawad Chaudhry said the Punjab chief minister and cabinet members would be announced till Aug 11 or a maximum of 10 days from now onward. He also told the media persons that the party had got the support of 26 independent candidates and was in a strong position to form its government even after the party candidates relinquish the Punjab Assembly seats to retain the National Assembly seats.

Besides potential candidates’ anxiety, the Punjab bureaucracy is also eagerly looking towards the PTI about its decision of appointing the chief minister in Punjab.

Meanwhile, the PTI leaders say the PML-N rulers have been exposed as the loadshedding has reared its ugly head once again because the power generation companies stopped working due to a lack of payment after July 31.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2018