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| November 22, 2007 | Thursday | Ziqa’ad 11, 1428 |
KARACHI: Expansion of cabinet on the cards
KARACHI, Nov 21: Moves are afoot to expand the Sindh caretaker cabinet to accommodate those coalition partners of the former provincial government who have been left out or feel under-represented in the current set-up, sources close to the power brokers told Dawn on Tuesday.
The new set-up, led by Justice (retd) Abdul Quadir Halepota, was installed in the province on Nov 19 with 14 ministers.
In the current cabinet the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Pakistan Muslim League-F have due representation, but other groups feel they have been left out or are under-represented. Such groups include the Jatois, the Mehars and the PPP-Patriots, while the PML-Q itself feels it does not have enough representation as only the Shirazi group from Thatta has been accommodated, while Dr Rahim’s own group is missing from the cabinet.
The purpose of installing a caretaker government, which is a constitutional requirement under Article 224, before the announcement of the general elections’ schedule is to bring in place a neutral set-up which can run day-to-day affairs and ensure the holding of free, fair and transparent elections through the induction of non-political persons.
The current situation, however, has caused considerable heartburn among the smaller groups from the Arbab coalition, especially with elections only seven weeks away, due on Jan 8. It has been learnt that the aggrieved parties took up the issue with the relevant authorities, including the party high command of the PML–Q.
“For those who return from their ancestral seats or on the basis of service to the people, it is immaterial for them to have representation or not in the current cabinet as they would be elected because of their family clout or because of the services they had rendered in their respective constituencies,” observed a source.
“However, in the given situation, when their rival groups have seats in the cabinet, the absence of the groups who feel they have been under-represented has become an issue of prestige and ego,” added the source.
Former chief minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has already rushed to Islamabad where he is reported to have taken up the issue with the powers that be and drawn their attention towards the “injustices” faced by the smaller groups of the former coalition government.
The sources pointed out that the Jatoi group, which commands political influence in Naushehro Feroze, from where family members of the Jatoi clan have been returning to the assembly since the 1970s and had sacrificed their own party’s – the National People’s Party – identity by joining the PML-Q, appeared quite upset upon finding no seat in the cabinet.
Another important group from the interior of Sindh which appeared unhappy over the shape of the cabinet is the Mehar group, whose member Sardar Ali Mohammad Mehar had led the cobbled coalition government before Dr Rahim for 18 months and had to resign over teething problems.
The PPP-Patriots group, with five members led by Sardar Manzoor Hussain Panhwar, who had joined the ruling coalition by deserting their party, is also quite upset and found themselves high and dry with none of their nominees in the cabinet.
The Arbab group itself was denied any representation as the former CM’s nominee – Arbab Niamatullah – was left out when the list of the members in the caretaker government was being finalised.
It has been learnt that in view of the strong reaction of the aggrieved parties, the authorities in Islamabad have reportedly responded to their complaints and have agreed to accommodate them in the cabinet. In this respect the induction of at least four ministers is expected within the next 72 hours, the sources added.
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