KARACHI: The Sindh cabinet underwent a significant reshuffle as Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah allocated and reassigned a number of portfolios. The new changes include the appointment of three advisors to the Chief Minister and ten special assistants.
A notification outlining the cabinet adjustments was issued by the provincial government late on Friday.
Mukesh Chawla has been appointed as provincial minister for Excise, Taxation & Narcotics Control. The portfolio was previously taken care of by Sharjeel Inam Memon who has been relieved of the responsibility.
Memon, a senior minister, will continue as provincial minister of Information while also managing the Transport and Mass Transit portfolio.
Mohammad Ali Malkani, who previously held the Boards and Universities portfolio, has now been assigned the role as the Minister of Fisheries and Livestock portfolio, which was previously held by Advisor to CM Syed Najmi Alam. He will continue serving with a portfolio of Katchi Abadis.
Saeed Ghani and Jam Shoro will continue as ministers of Local Government & House Town Planning and Irrigation, respectively.
Also, Minister Muhammad Bux Khan Mahar will continue to serve with the portfolios of Agriculture, Supply & Prices, Sports & Youth Affairs and Enquiries and Anticorruption Establishment.
Prominent PPP leader Allah Dino aka Babal Khan Bhayo, who had earlier resigned amid allegations of smuggling ammunition in Jacobabad, has rejoined the cabinet as the Chief Minister’s advisor. He has been entrusted with the Forests and Wildlife portfolio.
Bhayo resigned from his post in April this year after an alleged attempt was made to bring a huge quantity of weapons from Balochistan to Jacobabad. In a statement issued on April 20, Bhayo announced his resignation from his post “to let a fair and transparent inquiry be conducted” into Friday’s alleged arms smuggling bid.
In his statement, Bhayo said he had requested the CM to accept his resignation immediately and start an inquiry.
Ten special assistants to the Chief Minister have also been given the role in the provincial cabinet.
Saleem Baloch will oversee the Public Health Engineering & Rural Development department. The portfolio was previously assigned to Saeed Ghani.
Abdul Jabbar Khan has been assigned the portfolio of Food while Lal Chand Ukrani will take the Minority Affairs portfolio.
The new changes also saw Mohammad Bux Mahar losing the portfolio of the Bureau of Supply and Prices which has been assigned to Usman Hingoro.
Qasim Shah is tasked with Public-Private Partnership and Investment while Sarfaraz Rajar has been handed the portfolio of Social Protection.
Waqar Mehdi, who is the PPP’s provincial general secretary, has been appointed to head the Chief Minister’s Inspections, Enquiries and Implementation Team (CMIE&IT).
Rajvir Singh has been appointed as Special Assistant with a portfolio of Human Rights, while Mansoor Shahani received the portfolio of Students Affairs and Junaid Buland got the portfolio of the Sindh Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (STEVTA).
Dost Ali Rahimoon, who previously served as a minister for Environment, Climate Change and Coastal Development has been made an advisor with the same portfolio.
