Daily Times

KARACHI: A seven-member cabinet of Sindh’s caretaker Chief Minister Fazlur Rahman took oath in a ceremony held in Karachi on Friday.

The oath was administered by Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair.

The ceremony was attended by Caretaker Chief Minister Fazlur Rehman, Sindh IG AD Khawaja, P&D Chairman Mohammad Waseem, other senior sitting and retired bureaucrats, and members of civil society. Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon conducted the oath-taking ceremony at the Governor House.

The caretaker ministers who took oath include Khair Mohammad Junejo, Mushtaq Ahmed Shah, Jameel Yusuf, Dr Junaid Shah, Col (retd) Dost Mohammad Chandio, Dr Sadia Virk Rizvi and Simon John Daniel.

The caretaker minister Khair Mohammad Junejo belongs to Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F). He was one of the three candidates that PML-F approved for caretaker chief minister.

On Wednesday, PML-F given three names including Aslam Sanjrani, Khair Muhammad Junejo and Hussain Abdullah.

Mushtaq Ahmed Shah is the former Inspector General Police (IGP) Sindh.

Jameel Yusuf is the former Citizens Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) chief.

Dr Junaid Shah is the son of former leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Sindh chief minister’s special adviser on sports, and former provincial sports minister, Dr Mohammad Ali Shah. There are rumours that Dr Junaid was also in MQM and he recently quit the party and joined PPP, but it could not be confirmed.

Col (retd) Dost Mohammad Chandio worked in the engineering core of Pakistan Army.

Dr Sadia Virk Rizvi is the owner of a private hospital called the South City Hospital.

While, Simon John Daniel is said to be close relative of Sadiq Daniel, Bishop of Karachi Diocese.

The caretaker chief minister, Fazlur Rahman led his cabinet members to Mazar-e-Quaid after taking oath to pay respect to the father of the nation. The chief minister laid floral wreath on the mazar, offered Fateha and recorded his impressions in the visitors’ book.

Talking to media after laying floral wreath and offering Fateha at the Mazar, along with his cabinet, caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Fazlur Rahman claimed that he has inducted non-political and respectable persons in his cabinet and the cabinet is balanced and the objective is to hold free, fair and transparent election in a very conducive and peaceful atmosphere.

He said that the Sindh had the honour to appoint caretaker chief minister before any other provinces and he carried forward the tradition and inducted caretaker cabinet before any other province.

“My cabinet is balanced and comprises of apolitical persons who command respect in the society and we have no agenda except holding free, fair and transparent election in a conducive atmosphere in which all political party can participate freely,” he said.

He added that during his caretaker tenure he would try his best to establish good governance for which he has given clear instructions to all the government departments.

To a question, Rehman said that there were 40 departments in Sindh government, but “we inducted only seven ministers because we have to perform day-to-day routine work, therefore small cabinet will be good enough,” he said and added “yes, we can induct one or two more, if needed.”

Later on, presiding over his informal cabinet meeting Fazl said that it was a huge responsibility to hold free and fair elections and that “InshAllah, we would provide to be neutral and impartial.”

“This is our introductory meeting and after allotment of portfolios to the minister, a formal meeting will be held in which secretaries of important departments would brief the cabinet about the performance of their respective departments,” he said.

In the meeting the cabinet members introduced themselves and the chief minister introduced them with the provincial secretaries, including Chairman P&D and Principal Secretary.