April 24, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 17, 1429

QUETTA, April 23: Thirty-eight members of the Balochistan cabinet, four women among them, were sworn in by Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi on Wednesday.

This is the largest cabinet in the province’s history and Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani said that more ministers would be inducted at a later stage.

Eight of the ministers belong to the Pakistan People’s Party, six to Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl), six to Pakistan Muslim League (Like-minded), three to PML-Q, five to Balochistan National Party (Awami), two to Awami National Party, six to the independent group and one each to National Party Parliamentarians and the JUI (Ideological).

The number of women ministers is also highest in the province’s history. They include the wife of the governor. Another woman minister is Robina Irfan of the PML (Like-minded), wife of another minister, Dr Agha Irfan Karim of the PPP.

The ministers are: Mir Mohammad Sadiq Umrani, Shafiq Ahmed Khan, Dr Irfan Karim, Mohammad Younas Malazai, Ali Madad Jattak, Jan Ali Changezi, Mohammad Ismail Gujar and Ghazala Gola of the PPP; Syed Ehsan Shah, Mir Asadullah Baloch, Mir Zafarullah Zehri, Mir Asghar Rind and Ghulam Jan of the BNP-A; Maulana Abdul Wasey, Maulana Abdul Bari Agha, Ainullah Shams, Haji Mohammad Nawaz Kakar, Maulvi Ghulam Sarwar and Maulvi Abdul Samad of the JUI-F; Mir Habibur Rehman Mohammad Hasni, Babu Abdul Rahim Mengal, Mir Hamal Kalmati, Abdul Rehman Utmankhel, Amanullah Notezai and Robina Irfan of PML-L; Mir Mohammad Asim Kurd Gello, Nasreen Rehman Khetiran and Perveen Shama Magsi of PML-Q; Zamarak Khan Achakzai and Sultan Khan Tareen of ANP; Abdul Khaliq Bashardost of JUI-I; Sardar Sanaullah Zehri of NP-P; and Sardar Mohammad Aslam Bizenjo, Mir Abdul Rehman Mengal, Sardarzada Mir Rustom Khan Jamali, Mir Shahnawaz Marri, Mir Qambar Ali Gichki and Mir Zahoor Buledi of the independent group.

Nawab Raisani told journalists after the ceremony that a large cabinet was necessary because of the size of the province and its special conditions. “We have given representation in the cabinet to all political parties and groups,” he said, adding that his government wanted equal development opportunities in all areas.

He said several MPAs had won the election in their individual capacity and therefore, they had been given a share in the government.