QUETTA, Jan 7: Balochistan Governor Amirul Mulk Mengal administered oath to five new provincial ministers on Monday at the governor’s house.

Haji Mohammad Qasim Achakzai, Agha Abdul Zahir Amedzai, Abdul Jalil Dotani, Mehdi Hasan Musa and Hussian Bukhsh Bangulzai are the new ministers.

The size of the provincial cabinet now is nine. It may be recalled that three ministers, Agha Abdul Qadir Baloch, Saadat Ali Hazara and Naseer Ahmed Bacha, had resigned two days back citing personal reasons.

The provincial government reallocated the portfolios following the induction of new ministers into the cabinet.

According to a notification, the portfolio of finance was withdrawn from Malik Naeem Ahmed Khan and allotted to Jalil Dotani. Malik Naeem will take over the charge of communication, works and planning and development. Mr Dotani will also look after livestock, forest and environment.

Agha Abdul Zahir was appointed the minister for health; Mir Hussian Bukhsh Bangulzai, local government and rural development; Sardar Mehdi Hassan Musa, irrigation and power; Haji Mohammad Qasim Khan Achakzai, agriculture, food, fisheries and cooperatives; Sardar Mohammad Ali Jogezai, industries, commerce, mineral development, labour and manpower; Mrs Roshan Khurshid Barocha, information technology, information, culture, museums, archaeology, social welfare, population welfare, sports and woman development) and Mir Mohabat Khan Marri, revenue, excise and taxation, land utilization, settlement, Haj, Auqaf, minorities, transport and relief.