‘Better late than never’: Sindh cuts back on its ‘advice’

KARACHI: There seem to be no hard feelings on the part of the 12 advisers shown the door by the Sindh government on Monday.

Ministers, government functionaries, ruling party leaders and even the outgoing advisers themselves lauded the decision and called it “better late than never”.

The Sindh government has “dismissed” 12 of its advisers, a decision taken in light of the provisions of the 18th Amendment, which was promulgated in April 2010. The new law allows the set-up only five advisers and 18 ministers. But in violation, Sindh had appointed 17 advisers, 13 special assistants and 45 ministers.

But why did the Sindh government take nine months to make the move? Especially at a time when it was being taken to court for this very issue. On January 24, all the advisers and the Advocate General of Sindh were put on notice for February 7 by the Sindh High Court in a constitutional petition filed by the Sindh Dost Rabita Council represented by Barrister Zamir Ghumro. Sources said that the Sindh government expected a decision in the petitioner’s favour, which is why it decided to act first.

Barrister Zamir Ghumro, the petitioner who assailed the appointment of advisers, welcomed the decision “as sense had prevailed in the men at the helm of affairs”. “I do earnestly hope that more steps are taken for the enforcement of the law, rules and principles,” he said, demanding that portfolios given to un-elected advisers and the status of minister given to them will also be withdrawn by the government. He referred to Kaiser Bengali and Imamuddin Shoqeen and Rashid Rabbani.

The salary of each adviser is Rs20,000 per month, house rent is Rs22,000, a discretionary fund is Rs100,000 per annum. They have free medical treatment, no limit for telephone calls, an official car maintained at government expense, compensation in case of air travel of Rs300,000 a year and they are entitled to first-class tickets.

The advisers who have been shown the door are Imtiaz Shaikh (tourism) and Babar Leghari (no portfolio) of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F). The others are Sharmila Farooqui (information), Ghulam Qadir Malkani (coastal development), Muhammad Siddique Abu Bhai, Jehangir Dilawar Khanji, Dinshaw Anklesaria, Muhammad Kamran Behan, Mufti Ferozuddin Hazarvi, Sardar Aamir Khan Bhutto, Jameel Ahmed Soomro and Waqas Malik of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). The remaining five advisers, who will continue their jobs, include: Rashid Rabbani (political affairs), Kaiser Bengali (planning and development), Zubair Motivala (investment), Imamunddin Shauqeen (mines and minerals) and Khwaja Izharul Hassan (without portfolio).

Siddique Abu Bhai, who is a mechanical engineer by profession, was among those who had no portfolio. He was considered a close aide to the chief minister. His forefathers hailed from Junagadh, India and according to him, his affiliation with the PPP has been as old as its existence.

“My father Sardar Abu Bhai was a companion of the Nawab of Junagadh, Nawab Sir Mohabat Khanji who was a close friend of Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto, father of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto,” he told The Express Tribune. “ZA Bhutto used to visit us during his childhood and we are one of the founding members of the PPP. We have rendered sacrifices.”

Jehangir Dilawar Khanji is the son of Nawab Dilawar Khanji, a former governor of Sindh (1976-77). After the death of his father, he became the Nawab of Junagadh and was appointed adviser without a portfolio in the present cabinet.

Most advisers have one explanation for their performance. “What can we do when we have no budget, powers and even staff. We are just puppets,” said one of the advisers who did not want to be named.

But Abu Bhai said that he had worked on different fronts even without a portfolio. “I had multiple tasks. I used to organise the party, resolve people complaints at CM House and will continue,” he said.

Ghulam Qadir Malkani (coastal development) was affiliated with the Pakistan Muslim League-Q. But during the last days of former chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim, he left the party and joined the PPP.  Talking to The Express Tribune, he said that neither had party leaders consulted him while giving him the portfolio, nor had they informed him about removing him. “I appreciate the decision of the government, which is aimed at reducing the extra burden on government shoulders,” he said.

Waqas Malik is a businessman who was living in the UAE. He has close contacts with President Asif Zardari and was appointed an adviser to the CM’s Inspection Team. When he started taking action against government officials, the chief minister dismissed him on the complaints of different ministers and secretaries. “I am now playing games at my computer and watching my stocks business,” he had once told this correspondent.

Sharmila Farooqui, who is the niece of Salman Farooqui, a close aide of President Zardari, had replaced Jameel Soomro, as information adviser. She proved to be an active adviser in a short period of time. Her team used to keep the media updated about government events and the PROs were strictly told to keep in touch with beat reporters.  Imtiaz Shaikh of the PML-F is a bureaucrat-turned-politician, who was recently given tourism. “In my tenure I succeeded in getting 1,000 acres for the Keenjhar resort and mobilised the investor for the Gorakh Hill project,” he said. “This is my achievement in a short span of time.”

Jameel Soomro, who originally belongs to Kamber-Shahdadkot district, was an activist of the Peoples Student Federation. He was put in charge of the media section at Bilawal House. When the PPP government came into power, he was given the task of facilitating the media in Islamabad and he used to live in President House. But later, he was appointed an adviser on information and replaced Shazia Marri.

Sardar Amir Khan Bhutto belongs to Larkana district and is a cousin of Benazir Bhuttto.

Mufti Ferozudin Hazarvi was the president of the Muttahida Ullema Front. He lives in Qauidabad and was close to Benazir Bhutto who had promised to give him a ticket to contest the election. Since he was not given a ticket, the party decided to appoint him an adviser. Meanwhile, Dinshaw Anklesaria is linked to Anklesaria Nursing Home and Hospital.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st,  2011.