New inductees: AJK govt expands cabinet by three

Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed from Mirpur likely to be inducted as new finance minister

MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan has decided to extend the state cabinet, sources have told The Express Tribune.

This follows a similar move by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in Punjab, where the provincial government on Monday inducted 11 new provincial ministers.

Now, the PML-N-led government in AJK has decided to expand its nine-member cabinet by adding three members and a special advisor to the AJK premier.

Sources said that among the new inductees is former president of the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed.

Saeed, who hails from Mirpur, had defeated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) AJK head and former AJK prime minister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry during the elections
in July.

Sources said that Saeed is being brought in to take over the reins of the finance ministry, which is currently being managed by Dr
Najeeb Naqi.

Others who would be included in the cabinet are Shaukat Shah and Chaudhry Ismail. Both represent refugees from Indian occupied Kashmir settled in Pakistan. It was not immediately clear what portfolios they would be given.

Meanwhile, the AJK government has decided to bring in a Rawalakot native, Khan Bhadur Khan, into the cabinet. A member of the legislative assembly, Khan will be inducted as a special adviser to the premier.

AJK President Masood Khan also hails from Rawalakot.

The ruling PML-N has a two-thirds majority in the AJK assembly.

Austerity?

While the government has claimed it is working on an agenda of austerity, the expansion belies that.

Current members of the cabinet include Tariq Farooq, Farooq Sakindar, Barrister Iftikhar Gilani, Dr Naqi, Raja Nisar, Chaudhry Muhammad Aziz, Noorin Arif, Mushtaq Minhas and Mir Akbar.

The new members are expected to take their oaths this week.

Earlier on Monday, Haider had hinted that the government may also increase the number of judges in the AJK High Court.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2016.