KARACHI, July 8: The Sindh government notified on Thursday the portfolios of 12 ministers who were inducted last week into the Arbab Ghulam Rahim cabinet.
Finance Minister Syed Sardar Ahmad and Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chaudhry Iftikhar Hussain were appointed earlier, before the presentation of the provincial budget.
The 14-member cabinet has equal representation from coalition partners, the Pakistan Muslim League and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. Likewise, there are four advisers, two from each side.
According to informed sources, some last-minute adjustments were made in the portfolios and it was decided to induct a few non-MPAs as advisers owing to pressure from coalition partners.
Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, who is also head of the Pakistan Muslim League, is reported to have taken part in the decision-making process. According to the sources, the premier recommended that a few more MPAs should be included in the cabinet.
The ministries of home and irrigation, which the chief minister reportedly wanted to keep with himself to enforce his authority in matters of law and order and judicious distribution of irrigation water, have been given to Rauf Siddiqui of the MQM and Sardar Nadir Akmal Khan Leghari of the PML, respectively.
A few adjustments have been made in the portfolios of some ministers of the Mahar cabinet. Pir Sadruddin Shah Rashdi, who held the portfolio of irrigation and power in the previous cabinet, is now the Minister for Works and Services, the portfolio held by Arbab Rahim in the Mahar cabinet.
The Irrigation and Power Department has gone to Sardar Nadir Leghari who was the minister for inter-provincial coordination in the last cabinet. Sardar Manzoor Ali Panhwar, who was minister for livestock and fisheries, replaces Irfan Gul Magsi, who has been dropped from the cabinet, as the Minister for Auqaf, Religious and Minorities Affairs, Zakat and Ushr.
Irfanullah Khan Marwat is now the Minister for Mines and Minerals. He held the education portfolio in the last cabinet. Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh, who was minister for population welfare, is now Minister of the Board of Revenue and Political Affairs.
The ministers whose portfolios have not changed are: Arif Mustafa Jatoi, Food and Agriculture; Shoaib Bokhari, Planning and Development; Adil Siddiqui, Labour, Transport and Industries; Syed Mustafa Kamal, Information and Technology; and Qamar Mansoor, Sports and Youth Affairs.
The chief minister also named his four advisers who are not members of the provincial assembly. They are: Syed Ejaz Shah Shirazi, Forest and Wildlife; Fakir Jadim Mangrio, Livestock and Fisheries; Faisal Malik Gabol, Health; and Salahuddin Haider, Information.
