Daily Times

KARACHI: The new Sindh cabinet was sworn in on Sunday, with eight ministers and two advisers taking oath in the first phase of the cabinet formation by newly elected Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah.

The CM selected eight ministers and two advisors for his cabinet on Sunday. The cabinet members were sworn-in in a ceremony held at Governor House. Acting Governor Agha Siraj Durani administered oath to the newly appointed cabinet.

The cabinet members include Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Saeed Ghani, Shahela Raza, Ismail Rahu, Hari Ram, Shabir Bijarani, Syed Sardar Shah and Mahboob Makhdoom. Murtaza Wahab and Mohammad Bux Maher were appointed as advisors to CM Sindh.

After the oath-taking ceremony, the CM and his cabinet members visited the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He along with his cabinet members laid a floral wreath on Jinnah’s grave, and offered fateha. The newly elected CM also recorded his impressions in the visitors book placed at Jinnah’s mausoleum.

While talking to media at Mazar-e-Quaid , Shah said that there were various issues on which federal government had to support the provincial government of Sindh. He asserted that the most important issue is of the NFC. “We have already told the federal government in writing that the province of Sindh contributes more than 60 percent revenue in the divisible pool, therefore Sindh should be given its due share in the NFC Award,” he said.”It is yet to be seen whether the federal government gives rights to the smaller provinces or not but we would keep struggling to get our rightful share,” added Shah.

While responding to a question about accountability, the CM said, “There should be proper accountability but we would not accept political victimization in the name of accountability.” CM Murad also vowed to strengthen Anti-Corruption Establishment further so that corrupt practices could be controlled.

Murad Ali Shah said that he had appointed a balanced cabinet and all the cabinet members were experienced and well-educated. “I am sure we (cabinet) would be able to serve people of Sindh,” he remarked. The chief minister said that in the 2018 elections, the people of Sindh had given more votes and seats to PPP. “Almighty Allah will guide us and give us strength to serve our people and come up to their expectations,” he added.

In response to another question about the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) MPA who had beaten a citizen on the road, the chief minister said that the incident was unfortunate and what the parliamentarian did was unacceptable. “We are hoping for constructive politics and attitudes,” he said.

Replying yet to another question, Murad Ali Shah said that the federal government always made tall claims for giving special package to Karachi but did nothing. He said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government had announced a Rs25 billion (bn) package for Karachi but it proved to be nothing more than lip service. “We would welcome it if the federal government (of PTI) gave special attention to uplift of the metropolis,” he added.

Talking about expansion of the cabinet, the chief minister said that it would expanded after Eid.

Murad Ali Shah to another question said that there were issues of irrigational water for growers but he was trying to resolve them.

According to sources, former information minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, excise and taxation minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla and local government minister Jam Khan Shoro are expected to be included in the CM’s new cabinet.

Published in Daily Times, August 20^th 2018.