Karachi Another reshuffle of portfolios and the induction of new members into the Sindh cabinet appear likely, with the leadership of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party having met for two consecutive days in Dubai. Former president and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, who has been living in Dubai for several months, chaired the top-level meeting on Wednesday and Thursday. Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali also attended the meeting and arrived back in Karachi on Thursday evening. In addition to likely changes in the cabinet, the other issues discussed at the meeting included the two phases of local government elections held in Sindh and Punjab, the final phase of the polls scheduled to be held in Karachi on December 5, new development projects in the province, the centre-Sindh relations and the alleged victimisation campaign against PPP leaders by federal agencies. It is likely that after deliberations in Dubai, the portfolio of information and archives would be taken back from Senior Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, who would continue to act as senior minister for education. Sources privy to the meeting said Moula Bakhsh Chandio, a former senator who also served as federal minister for law, justice and parliamentary affairs in the previous PPP-led federal government, would be inducted into the cabinet as adviser to the chief minister on information. Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, who had been the local government minister from July 23 and November 17, is likely to be given the portfolio of the food department. Since he was relieved of the local government portfolio, Shah has been a provincial minister without any portfolio. Currently, the additional portfolio of food is with Manzoor Hussain Wassan, who is the minister for mines and mineral development. The party would consider giving the portfolio of any important ministry to Shah in order to retain the support of the Mahar clan of Ghotki with whom he is politically associated. Jam Khan Shoro, currently minister for livestock & fisheries, is likely to be given the charge of the local government department. Decisions in this regard would be finalised and notified in the coming days after formal approval from the chief minister. Some other changes in the cabinet are also likely as the co-chairman of the party is reportedly considering showing the door to cabinet members showing no or unsatisfactory performance over the last several months. The cabinet had earlier undergone a major reshuffle in July. The Dubai meeting decided that two-year development projects would be launched at the level of wards from January 2016 on the recommendations of the newly elected leadership of the local government system in the province. Due emphasis would be given to projects of water supply, sanitation, road reconstruction and repair and provision of similar basic amenities at the ward level. Zardari directed the CM to inform the federal authorities, including the prime minister, about the reservations of the provincial government over non-cooperation on the part of the centre in launching and completing the K-IV bulk water supply scheme for Karachi and the Thar coal power and energy project and similar other mega development programmes for the province. The former president also directed the leadership of the party to raise again in parliament the issue of the alleged victimisation campaign against PPP leaders and former government office holders at the hands of federal agencies, including the FIA and NAB. The meeting also decided that the reorganisation of the party would be carried out on a phase-wise basis after the local government polls. The sources said the meeting decided that the PPP in the near future would not offer any other political party to become its coalition partner in the Sindh government, but contacts would be established with all the major political forces for the sake of strengthening democracy and the parliamentary system of governance.
