QUETTA: With the induction of two more ministers, the cabinet of Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Khan Alyani is now complete.
Governor retired Justice Amanullah Khan Yasinzai administered the oath to the two new ministers, Mir Omer Khan Jamali of PTI and Toor Haji Muhammad Khan Utamkhail of BAP, at Governor House on Monday.
With the addition of two more ministers, the number has now reached to 14 in conformity with the 18th Amendment which mandates 14 ministers and five advisers out of the house of 65 members.
However, the chief minister has appointed four advisers and has an authority to select one more. Portfolios to ministers are yet to be allocated.
Majority of cabinet members are from the Balochistan Awami Party along with the representation of PTI, Awami National Party, BNP-Awami, Hazara Democratic Party and Jamhoori Watan Party.
However, the Alyani-led coalition government has not given representation to minority and female members despite the fact that 11 females of different political parties have been elected on reserved seats along with five minority members.
In the two former coalition governments of Dr Abdul Malik Baloch and Nawab Zehri, the ministry of Women Development was led by Ms Rahat Faiq Jamali, who was elected on a general seat from Jaffarabad. Nawab Zehri inducted her in the cabinet few months before the end of the government.
Chief Minister Alyani earlier promised to establish a separate ministry for minorities having one male minority member, Danish Kumar, and four females.
A female MPA of the six-party alliance said, “Ignoring female representation in the Cabinet is not justice with the women of the province”.
She demanded induction of at least a female minister or an adviser in the provincial cabinet.
A female member belonging to the Christian community has also demanded appointment of at least a minority minister or an adviser in the cabinet.
Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2018
