QUETTA: A 10-member cabinet of the six-party Balochistan coalition government headed by Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani took the oath on Monday.

Governor Mohammad Khan Achakzai administrated the oath to the ministers at a ceremony attended by CM Alyani, Chief Secretary Dr Nazeer Ahmed, MPAs and senior officials at Governor House.

Eight out of the 10 new ministers belong to the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), one each to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and the Awami National Party (ANP).

The ministers include Mohammad Saleh Bhootani, Mir Mohammad Arif Mohammad Hasni, Sarfaraz Chakar Domki, Tariq Khan Magsi, Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, Mir Ziaullah Langove, Saleem Ahmed Khosa and Noor Mohammad Domar (BAP), Mir Nasibullah Khan Marri (PTI) and Engineer Zamarak Khan Piralizai (ANP).

Four ministers, four advisers may be named later

Saleh Bhootani is former caretaker chief minister and the senior most parliamentarian. He has been elected to the Balochistan Assembly eight times since 1985.

Mir Ziaullah Langove, Mir Mohammad Arif Mohammad Hasni, Mir Nasibullah Marri and Noor Mohammad Domar reached the provincial assembly for the first time.

Metha Khan Kakar has joined the cabinet as the chief minister’s adviser with the status of a minister. Mr Kakar was elected from Zhob as an independent candidate by defeating Jaffar Khan Mandokhel of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q, who had been elected an MPA for seven times from the same constituency.

According to the Constitution, the Balochistan cabinet, including the chief minister, can consist of 15 ministers in a house of 65 members. Five advisers could also be appointed.

Yar Mohammad Rind, PTI’s provincial head, did not take the oath as minister on Monday. Sources said that four ministers and four advisers would be inducted into the cabinet later.

Sources said the chief minister was facing difficulties in selecting his cabinet as coalition partners, including his own party members, were demanding ministries. The portfolios of ministers and adviser would be announced later

While welcoming his cabinet colleagues after the oath-taking ceremony, Chief Minister Alyani expressed the hope that they would make the vision of development successful.

He said the masses had high hopes with the new government and cabinet members had to make all-out efforts to come up to their expectations. The ministers would have to focus all their energies on the development of the province, he added.

Mr Alyani said that the cabinet would have to work as a team to meet the challenges faced by the country

He said: “Problems in Balochistan are many, while the resources are limited, so the members should adopt simplicity.” He said the first meeting of the cabinet would be held on Tuesday.

In light of the Supreme Court’s order, the cabinet was now empowered to take decisions on all the provincial matters, he added.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2018