The decision came after a meeting between Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Agha Siraj Durrani and PML-Q leaders in Lahore. Durrani was delegated by President Zardari to persuade the party to give up its current ministries in exchange for different, equally prestigious, ones.
Officials told The Express Tribune that the government and party leaders have assured the three PML-Q ministers that they will be re-assigned new ones.
Sports Minister Haleem Adil Shaikh, Environment Minister Shaharyar Mahar and Rural Development Aijaz Shah Sherazi will be reallocated other departments.
At the moment two ministries are up for grabs and their portfolios lie with the chief minister. Transport Minister Akhktar Jadoon recently lost his portfolio while Zulfiqar Mirza’s forest department is also available. They will be given to Shaikh and Sherazi, respectively.
Shaharyar Mahar, meanwhile, will take over as Board of Investment chairman from Zubair Motiwala, who was also made a minister when he became chairman.
In the end it works out for the best because PML-Q’s Sherazi who has been hankering after the forest ministry for a while now. “Aijaz Shah Sherazi already served as forest minister in Arbab Ghulam Rahim’s cabinet and he wanted to get the same ministry back following the honeymoon between the PPP and PML-Q,” said an official. “However, Zulfiqar Mirza, who was the forest department minister, was not willing to give it up.”
The transport ministry, on the other hand, has been given to the PML-Q to pacify their ministers’ constant complaints that they never get the best ministries or powers. “We are an important ally of the government with around 50 seats in parliament,” said Haleem Adil Shakih, minister for sports. “It was joke to give us ministries without powers.”
He said that they would accept whatever decision their party has made. “We have been assured by our central leadership that our all reservation will be addressed.” As far as new ministries go, he neither denied nor confirmed the government decisions.
The PML-F has four ministries that it refuses to give up. Imtiaz Sheikh is information technology minister, a portfolio that was previously with the MQM’s Raza Haroon. Jam Madad Ali took over the youth affairs department from Faisal Subzwari while Dr Rafiq Banbhan became the auqaaf minister after Rafiq Khan resigned. They also have the mines and minerals ministry.
Arbab Rahim nominated opposition leader
Now that all the parties have joined the government, the PML-Q likeminded group has nominated an opposition leader.
They have chosen former Sindh chief minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim. The Sindh Assembly opposition consists of four members - Razzaque Rahimon, Arbab Zulfiqar and Cheetan Mal Arwani. They have submitted their application to the speaker nominating Dr Rahim.
Issues with this appointment include the fact that Dr Rahim is currently in Dubai and he recently filed a petition in the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad, asking for protection from the government on his arrival back to the country. However, his party claims that he will return to the country in two weeks after being named opposition leader, regardless.
“It is our right to get opposition leaders that is why we have applied for it,” MPA Cheetan Mal told The Express Tribune. He said that speaker has assured them that Dr Rahim would be nominated as opposition leader in the upcoming assembly session.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 12th, 2011.
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