LAHORE: Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has reshuffled portfolios of two members of his cabinet.

A notification issued by the chief secretary after approval of the chief minister states that the portfolio of Agriculture Department has been withdrawn from Malik Nauman Langrial and he has been assigned the Management and Professional Development Department.

Whereas, Hussain Jahanian Gardezi has been given the portfolio of Agriculture Department and his earlier portfolio of Management and Professional Development Department has been withdrawn. Though no reason was assigned for the reshuffle, sources say the chief minister was not happy with Mr Langrial on the handling of pesticides companies by him. It may be recalled that many eyebrows had been raised last year when a brother-in-law of Mr Langrial, Naveed Bhandar, was appointed as chairman of the Agriculture Marketing Regulatory Authority for three years.

Mr Gardezi took charge of his new responsibility here on Tuesday and got a briefing about farm subsidy and locust attack issues from the agriculture secretary and director-general (extension).

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2020