‘Fine, fine take the ministries’

Sticking to his guns, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has retained the Health Ministry and has shed off eight additional ministries on Thursday, Pakistan Today has learnt. The CM has been facing a lot of criticism over concentrating power and offices in his person and especially for retaining the health portfolio after the recent deaths of patients from spurious drugs in Punjab. Many critics said due to concentration of all important powers with the CM, important policy decisions take time to be taken and implemented.
Per details, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah has got the additional charge of the Community Development Ministry. The Information Ministry has been given to Pervaiz whereas Saeed Mehdi will be in charge of the Management and Professional Development Ministry. Moreover, the Energy Department has been given to Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor, Telecommunications to Ahmed Ali, while Manshallah Butt will be the in-charge of the Food Department. Per further details, Jehanzaib Burki has been made the CM’s advisor on prosecution while Ahsanudin Qureshi will handle the affairs of housing and urban development department.
Senior bureaucrats seeking anonymity said the decision has come in the wake of severe media criticism on Shahbaz’s holding so many portfolios, while even the LHC had issued notification to the CM in this regard.
EYEWASH: “The reshuffling of ministries by the CM is eyewash and it will not have a positive impact on the province,” said Coordinator to President Zardari for Punjab Naveed Chaudhry.
While talking to Pakistan Today, he said the CM had appointed technocrats, senators and federally-elected people as members of the provincial cabinet and it will not bring any positive change in Punjab. “Shahbaz does not have confidence in his provincial members and is looking for other people,” he said adding that by appointing technocrats the CM had disgraced the mandate of people. “He should have appointed elected persons instead of going for technocrats,” he said.
To a question regarding the giving of additional charges to ministers, he said Rana Sana had been given additional charge of Local government and this was not a fair step as LG required a full time minister. “Shahbaz Sharif is following the footsteps of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi by giving additional charge of Local Bodies Ministry to a the law minister but unfortunately Shahbaz could not find a suitable person,” he added. He said Shahbaz had kept the Health Ministry to himself, which showed his stubbornness and inflexibility. “It is a million dollar question that why he (Shahbaz) is insisting on keeping the Health Ministry?” he added.