‘Old wine in new bottle’ as Sindh cabinet sees major reshuffle

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KARACHI: The Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) led Sindh government on Monday made a major reshuffle in the provincial cabinet by bringing back old faces, but with the new portfolios.

According to sources, the Sindh cabinet was under severe pressure from within the party which compelled Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah to bring back almost all the old ministers who are currently facing corruption charges. And those who were performing well have been sidelined and given a lollipop in the cabinet share.

According to a notification issued by the Sindh Chief Secretary Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, who is the party’s president in the province, has been made advisor to CM for the Works and Services Department. In the elections of 2018, Khuhro was disqualified for not disclosing his and his wife’s properties in Chicago, United States of America (USA).

Moreover, advisor to CM Barrister Murtaza Wahab, a close-friend of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and son of former MNA Fauzia Wahab, has been sidelined with the allocation of Law, Environment, Climate Change and Coastal Development.

Interestingly, Wahab will remain the Sindh government’s spokesperson while the concerned department of Information and Archives has been allotted to Saeed Ghani.

Similarly, Syed Aijaz Ali Shah Shirazi has been made advisor to CM for Social Welfare.

PPP MPA Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has been given the portfolio of Local Government, Forest and Religious Affairs, while Abdul Bari Pitafi has been allocated the portfolio of Fisheries and Livestock.

PPP leader Hari Ram has been allotted Minorities and Food; Muhammad Ismail Rahu will be heading the Agriculture Department; Mir Shabbir Ali Bijarani will look after Mines and Minerals, Public Health, and Rural Development Department; Saeed Ghani is now overseeing Labour, Information and Archives; Culture and Tourism will be taken over by Syed Sardar Ali Shah; Faraz Dero has been given the portfolio of Rehabilitation; Muhammad Taimur Talpur of Information, Science and Technology; Ghulam Murtaza Baloch of Human Settlement; Sohail Anwar Siyal of Irrigation, Zakat and Ushr, Auqaf, Enquiries and Anti-Corruption Establishment, and Jam Ikramullah Dharejo has been made minister for Industries and Commerce and Cooperation.