KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday expanded his cabinet by inducting PPP MPA from Karachi Saeed Ghani as a minister.

He was administered the oath by acting governor Agha Siraj Durrani at a ceremony held in Governor House. He was given the portfolio of planning and development, which fell vacant with the death of Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani.

Saeed Ghani is the son of eminent labour leader Usman Ghani and a senior PPP leader. He was earlier elected as a senator and appointed as adviser to the chief minister for labour. Later he contested a by-election on PS-114 and won it.

Disabled persons to get jobs

The chief minister on Tuesday assured the differently abled persons (disabled) that they would be provided government jobs in April for which he issued directives to the chief secretary to expedite the process.

He gave this assurance during a meeting with representatives of the differently abled persons at the CM House.

He said there was a two per cent quota for the disabled in government jobs which he had enhanced to 5pc. “Since the overall recruitment process was taking time, a separate process for differently abled persons was started and now their interviews have almost been done,” he told them.

“We are not giving you any favour, but it is your right to lead a respectable life and become effective citizens. This is why I am holding a sixth meeting with you today,” said the chief minister.

Mr Shah also held a meeting with ministers Jam Mehtab Dahar and Dr Sikandar Mandhro, Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon and secretaries of different departments.

He said the interview process of differently abled persons had almost concluded. “I want you to work out department-wise vacancy position with 5pc quota allocated for differently abled persons so that they can be issued offer orders on merit accordingly,” he told the chief secretary.

The chief minister also directed all the secretaries of provincial departments to work out vacancy position and give them to the chief secretary. “We are going to give jobs to differently abled persons purely on merit,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2018