LAHORE: At the time when Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan is going all out to get the Punjab Assembly dissolved, Chief Minister Parvez Elahi’s move to appoint Khayal Ahmad Kastro as another provincial minister has created ripples in the ranks of the PTI.

Adding insult to injury, a source in the PTI said even the party chairman did not know about the expansion in the provincial cabinet and Mr Kastro being appointed as provincial minister.

Mr Kastro had also served as culture minister during CM Usman Buzdar’s tenure.

Meanwhile, Governor Balighur Rehman administered oath of office to Khyal Kastro as the provincial minister at the Governor House on Wednesday.

Secretary I&C Zahoor Hussain read out the notification regarding the appointment.

Chief Minister Parvez Elahi attended the oath-taking ceremony, which was also attended by Chief Secretary Abdullah Khan Sumbal, Principal Secretary to Governor Nabeel Awan, Punjab Minister Basharat Raja, MPAs and administrative secretaries of different departments.

Sources claimed that PTI chief Khan told Mr Kastro though this development was not problematic, his becoming a minister had belittled the party’s narrative.

In the meantime, the PDM’s government in the Centre was insisting that general elections would not be held before October next year. Mr Elahi has also said he did not see elections taking place in the next four months.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2022