New beginning: New Balochistan cabinet sworn in

Minority community not represented on 12-member cabinet

QUETTA: As many as 12 members of the Balochistan Assembly were sworn in as cabinet members of the Balochistan government on Tuesday in a ceremony held at Governor House Balochistan.

Members of Balochistan Assembly, Speaker Balochistan Assembly, heads of political parties, eminent persons from different walks of life and secretaries of various government departments were present on the occasion to witness the oath-taking ceremony.

Four members of PMAP, four members of NP, three members of PML-N and one of PML- Q were sworn in as ministers.

Chief Of Jhalawan and the provincial president of PML-N Nawab Sanaullah Zehri took oath as Chief Minister of the province on 24th of December 2015 after the expiry of Dr Malik Baloch’s two-and-half-years relatively calm rule and the cabinet was formed belatedly on Tuesday with 12 Ministers that include Nawab Muhammd Khan Shahwani, Nawab Ayaz Jogezai, Nawab Chengaiz Marri, Rehmat Saleh Baloch, Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal, Sardar Sarfraz Domki, Sarfraz Bugti, Dr Hamid Achakzai, Mujeeb ur Rehman Muhammad Hassani, Sardar Aslam Bizenjo, Shiekh Jaffer Mandokhel, Sardar Mustafa Tareen.

Chief Secretary Balochistan Saifullah Chatha played the role of stage secretary during the ceremony. Moreover, it was revealed that as many as five advisers would also form part of the cabinet whose notifications would soon be issued.

Furthermore, no member of any minority community was included in the cabinet.

According to the PML N sources two PML-N ministers will take oath after some days.

PML-Q to sit in neutral benches

Meanwhile, PML-Q members walked out of the oath taking ceremony of the Balochistan cabinet in protest against the decision of awarding ministry to Sheikh Jaffer Khan Mandokhel and decided to sit on neutral benches.

The parliamentary group also declared Abdul Qudus Bizenjo, the former Deputy Speaker of Balochistan Assembly, as their parliamentary leader.

Addressing a press conference here at Mir Abdul Qudus Bizenjo’s house here in Quetta, member of the Provincial Assembly Mir Abdul Kareem Nosherwani said that in 2013 elections, the party leadership had decided to make Sheikh Jaffer Khan Mandokhel the parliamentary leader of the party on which the party members had reservations.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 13^th, 2016.