Maryam Nawaz becomes first Punjab CM to appoint Sikh minister

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) seniour vice-president Maryam Nawaz has become the first chief minister of Punjab to include a Sikh Minister in her provincial cabinet.

Nawaz Sharif's daughter added a feather in her cap by appointing Ramesh Singh Arora as the minister of the Minorities Affairs Department.

Arora was sworn in as the Punjab Assembly lawmaker for the third time on a platform of PML-N in 2024. 

He was first elected as MPA in 2013, making history as the first Sikh member of the provincial legislature.

Ramesh, who hails from district Narowal, again took oath as a lawmaker in 2020 when a minority seat fell vacant.

He was the first minority MPA to table the Sikh Marriage Bill in the Punjab Assembly in 2017, which was passed unanimously by the House. 

CM Maryam also added another religious minority member to the provincial cabinet as Khalil Tahir Sindhu assumed the office of the Human Rights Department.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also gave a chance to Sardar Mahendar Pal Singh in 2018 to become a member of the provincial assembly.

However, he could not return to the PA in 2024 as PTI was unable to secure its quota of reserved seats for minorities.