PPP's Sohail Anwar Siyal appointed Sindh home minister again

Earlier, he was given the post in May 2015 but was removed after his differences with LEAs

KARACHI: The Sindh government appointed on Tuesday Sohail Anwar Sial as home minister once again, giving charge of the information department to Transport Minister Nasir Shah and that of zakat and religious affairs department to Health Minister Dr Sikandar Mandhro.

According to a notification issued by the services, general administration and coordination department, the portfolio of the home department has been given to Sial, who is a close aide of Pakistan Peoples Party leadership. He was already working as minister for agriculture, supply, prices, mines and minerals.



Sial, who belongs to Larkana district, was earlier given the home department portfolio in May 2015. However, he was removed from the post in July 2016, following his differences with the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) over the arrest of Asad Kharal, his friend. The situation became tense when LEAs attempted to arrest Kharal from Larkana over alleged charges of corruption against him.

The people of Sial's constituency interfered and scuffled with the Rangers personnel, providing a chance for him to escape. After the incident, the Rangers reportedly registered complaints against Sial, the then home minister, which ultimately compelled the then chief minister (CM) Qaim Ali Shah to relieve him from the position.

However, after Murad Ali Shah took oath as CM on July 29 last year, he appointed Sial as agriculture minister. Sial will continue working in agriculture department along with the coveted post of home minister.



On the other hand, the government has given the ministry of information department to Syed Nasir Hussain Shah. He was earlier working on various portfolios, including minister for transport and mass transit, religious affairs, zakat and ushr, labour and human rights. This post was lying vacant after the government removed adviser Maula Bux Chandio on court orders. In the absence of the information minister, the CM was looking after the affairs of the department.

According to the notification, the charge for ministry of zakat, ushr and religious affairs has been taken back from Nasir Shah and these departments have been handed over to Health Minister Dr Sikandar Mandhro.

This decision was made after the court ordered to remove advisers, special assistants and coordinators of CM, who were working in the capacity of ministers in various departments. The court in its judgment said only elected representatives can hold the portfolios and the advisers, coordinators and special assistants of CM have no right to run government departments and attend cabinet meetings.