After the oath: Fazlur Rehman vows to take care of elections

Interim CM all set to appoint a 'balanced' cabinet within next two days

KARACHI: Taking an oath on Saturday as the caretaker chief minister, Fazlur Rehman said he did not foresee a delay or postponement in the general elections.

Speaking to a group of journalists just after the oath taking ceremony at Governor House, Rehman brushed aside the impression of delay or postponement of the general election.

He said it [the election] will be held on time. "I am thankful to the outgoing CM and the opposition for showing their trust and confidence in me and nominating me as the caretaker CM," he said.

Talking about caretaker cabinet, Rehman said that he will appoint a balanced cabinet within the next two days.

Earlier, Governor Mohmmad Zubair, in a ceremony held at Governor House, administered the oath to -Rehman as a caretaker CM. The ceremony was attended by outgoing CM Murad Ali Shah, Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durani, former provincial ministers Nasir Shah, Saeed Ghani and others. The Rangers director-general, inspector-general of police, planning and development chairperson and secretaries of different departments also attended the oath taking ceremony.



Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon conducted the oath taking ceremony and it started with a recitation from the Holy Quran and the national anthem.

After the ceremony, Rehman reached CM House and was presented a guard of honour. He assumed office and was briefed by Principal Secretary to the CM Ejaz Ali Khan, who a day earlier was transferred from the post of the commissioner and posted as principal secretary to the CM.

Rehman is a former civil servant and has served as the Sindh chief secretary twice. He is widely respected.

On May 31, the outgoing CM and Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Khawaja Izharul Hassan, addressing a joint press conference at CM House, had nominated Rehman as the caretaker CM of Sindh.

Cabinet members

Around a dozen ministers and advisers are likely to be inducted in the provincial cabinet. According to sources, the name of former Sindh IG Wajid Durrani is being tipped as the caretaker home minister. He is a close friend of Pakistan Peoples Party Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari.

Meanwhile, Arts Council President Ahmed Shah is expected to be given charge of the culture and tourism department. Sono Khan Baloch, a former local government minister, is likely to get the portfolio of local government minister. The name of Engineer Hamir Soomro, the grandson of former CM Allah Bux Soomro, is being circulated for the post of education minister, while former bureaucrat Shuja Junejo, who has served as the irrigation secretary, may get the charge of the irrigation department.

Civil society member and women's rights activist Rahima Panhwar, who currently works as the regional coordinator of Strengthening Participatory Organisation, a non-governmental organization, is reportedly nominated for the social welfare and human rights ministry.