KARACHI: Caretaker Chief Minister Fazal-ur-Rahman has said he has included respectable and apolitical persons in his cabinet as his prime objective is to hold fair and free elections.

The chief minister was talking to the media after laying a wreath and offering Fateha with his cabinet at the grave of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah on Friday.

He said he was the first one to be selected the Sindh CM before any other province could name its chief minister and he named his cabinet before any other province could name its.

All cabinet members are apolitical, says interim CM

“My cabinet is balanced and comprises apolitical persons who command respect in society.

“We have no agenda but to hold fair and free elections,” he said and added that during his interim tenure he would try his best to establish good governance for which he had given clear instructions to all the departments.

When asked why he had formed a small cabinet, he replied that there were only 40 departments and they had to perform only day-to-day functions, so a small cabinet was enough.

Replying to another question, Mr Rahman said he had chaired two meetings for proper distribution of irrigation water so that tailenders could receive sufficient water.

“We also discussed and decided proper distribution of water in the city,” he said.

Cabinet meeting

Presiding over his informal cabinet meeting, the CM said holding elections in a transparent manner was a major challenge for them but he was confident that they would nail it.

“This is our introductory meeting and we will soon hold a formal meeting in which secretaries of important departments will give presentation to the cabinet members about their departments,” he said.

In the meeting, the cabinet members introduced themselves and the chief minister introduced them to the provincial secretaries, including P&D chairman and principal secretary.

Earlier, a seven-member caretaker cabinet was administered the oath by Governor Muhammad Zubair in a simple ceremony at the Governor’s House.

The caretaker ministers who took the oath included Khair Mohammad Junejo, Mushtaq Shah, Jameel Yusuf, Dr Junaid Shah, retired Col Dost Mohammad Chandio, Dr Sadia Virk Rizvi and Simon John Daniel.

The interim CM and Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon were present on the occasion.

Governor Zubair congratulated the ministers and hoped they would leave no stone unturned in holding the elections in a peaceful atmosphere on July 25.

The chief secretary notified the portfolios of the ministers in the evening.

Khair Mohammad Junejo has been given the departments of agriculture, supply, cooperative, forest, wildlife, livestock and fisheries. He had been part of Gen Musharraf’s cabinet as minister for agriculture in the past.

Mushtaq Shah has been given the charge of irrigation, inter-coordination, public health engineering, rural development, and works and services departments. He is a former inspector general of police.

Environment, climate change, coastal development, information, science and technology, law and parliamentary affairs departments will be looked after by Jameel Yusuf.

Dr Junaid Ali Shah will be running the affairs of culture, tourism, antiquities, energy, sports and youth affairs departments, and Sindh Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority.

Dost Mohammad Chandio will be incharge of mines, minerals, rehabilitation, transport & mass transit departments.

College and school education, population welfare, primary and secondary health, social welfare, special education, women development and universities & boards departments will be handled by Dr Sadia Virk Rizvi.

Simon John Daniel will head human rights, katchi abadis, spatial development, labour, human resources and minorities’ affairs departments.

Election complaint cell

Mr Rahman has set up a general election complaint and coordination cell at the CM House to help the masses and coordinate with relevant authorities/cells established by the district administration.

The public complaints will be received by the duty officer on the telephone numbers: 021-99202051-4, 021-99207349-021-99207568 and 021-99202065, and on the fax number 021-99202007.

Kashif Hussain will be looking after the complaint cell, which will submit report to the CM daily.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2018