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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani allocated on Thursday the portfolios of human resource development and professional and technical training to two ministers of state belonging to the PML-Q because the charge of ministries earlier given to them has been devolved to provinces.
According to a notification issued by the Cabinet secretariat, Sheikh Waqas Akram has been given the charge of human resource development and Sardar Shahjehan Yousuf of professional and technical training.
Another notification gives the status of minister of state to Salman Faruqui, secretary general to the president, Farzana Raja, chairperson of Benazir Income Support Programme, and Saleem H. Mandviwala, chairman of Board of Investment.
After the PML-Q joined the PPP-led coalition government in May, Sheikh Waqas was made minister of state for labour and manpower and Shahjehan Yousuf minister of state for health.
The devolution of the two ministries under the 18th Amendment had left them without portfolios.
PML-Q member Akram Masih Gill, who was minister of state for minorities’ affairs before devolution was earlier given charge of the ministry for interfaith harmony.
Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain and Riaz Hussain Pirzada of the same party were made ministers for human resource development and professional and technical training, respectively.
Ahsan Iqbal of the PML-N has criticised the move and said that in view of the grim state of economy, the prime minister should stop expanding his cabinet just to appease his coalition partners.
Talking to this correspondent, he said the government wanted the nation to render sacrifices, but it was distributing ministries and portfolios among its allies only to keep the ruling coalition intact.
