10-member Sindh cabinet sworn in

Many ministers get past portfolios; Chawla loses ministry of excise and taxation

KARACHI:

A 10-member Sindh Cabinet took oath of office on Tuesday at the Governor House.

Sindh governor Kamran Tessori administered the oath.

Apart from this, the Sindh government appointed three advisors to the CM in the cabinet.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, elected lawmakers, diplomats, members of business communities and government officials were among others who attended the ceremony. After the oath taking ceremony, the cabinet members were allotted the portfolio too.

Many ministers got their past portfolios. According to the notification, former information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon was made the senior minister with the portfolios of transport and mass transit, excise, taxation, narcotics and control department.

For the first time, in the last 15 years, the excise and taxation department has been shifted from Mukesh Kumar Chawala who so far is not inducted in the cabinet.

Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, who earlier served as health minister in last tenure, has been given the same department with the charge of population welfare ministry. Syed Nasir Hussain shah has been made the minister for energy department and planning & development department. Syed Sardar Ali Shah has again been given the education ministry to run the School Education & Literacy Department and College Education Department, along with portfolio of mines & minerals development department. He earlier, served as culture, tourism, and antiquities minister too, but this time, the portfolio has been given to Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah.

According to notification, Saeed Ghani has been made the minister for Local Government & Housing Town Planning Department and the Public Health Engineering Dept and Rural Development Department.

Meawhile Jam Khan Shoro who earlier served the Irrigation Department has been allotted the same portfolio along with additional charge of Food Department. Ziaul Hasan Lanjar was sworn in as the Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs & Criminal Prosecution Department.

Sardar Muhammad Bux Khan Mahar, chieftain of the Mahar tribe, having served as sports minister in 2016 has now been appointed Minister for Agriculture, Supply & Prices Department, in addition to Sports & Youth Affairs Department with additional charge of inquiries and anti-corruption establishment. Ali Hassan Zardari has been appointed as minister for prisons.

Sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune, that more cabinet members including ministers, advisors and special assistants to chief minister would be inducted in the cabinet in coming days.

"Sindh chief minister with consultation of party leadership would allot the portfolios to second lot of cabinet members relieving additional charges from existing ministers," an official at CM house said.

Regarding the advisors, the notification said that Allah Dino Khan Bhayo has been appointed advisor to Sindh Chief Minister on Forest & Wildlife Department. Ehsanur Rehman Mazari would serve as advisor to the Inter-Provincial Coordination Department, and Cooperative Department. Syed Najmi Alam has been made advisor to the CM on the human settlement, spatial development & social housing development and livestock & fisheries department.

After the oath taking ceremony, the ministers and advisors along with CM Murad Ali Shah visited Mazar-e-Quaid, laid a wreath, offered fateha, and recorded impressions in the visitor's book.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2024.