Sindh cabinet undergoes second major reshuffle in a year

Karachi
In another major cabinet reshuffle within a year, former federal minister and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Senator Maula Bakhsh Chandio turned out to be the newest entrant into the provincial cabinet, as the Sindh chief minister approved the fresh appointments on Friday.
Anticipated to take place within the week, an official notification with respect to the reassignment of portfolios was issued by provincial chief secretary Muhammad Siddique Memon.
Chandio, who had served as the minister for law, justice and parliamentary affairs in the previous PPP-led government, was appointed as Advisor to CM on Information. He would from now onwards serve as the chief spokesman for the Sindh government.
Considered to be one of the party’s intellectual stalwarts, Chandio was twice elected as member Senate on the party’s ticket in 2009 and 2015.
Senior Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, who was previously looking after the Ministry of Information and Archives Department following the July reshuffle, was handed over his previous portfolio of Sindh Education and Literacy Department.
Previously appointed as Minister for Local Government, the party’s MNA from Sukkur, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, who was removed from the post earlier this month, was given the charge of the Sindh Food Department.
According to sources, it was essential for the provincial government to assign a ministry to Nasir Hussain Shah, in order for the party to woo back the support of the Mahar clan, of Ghotki.
Manzoor Hussain Wassan who had taken additional charge of the food department would continue to serve as provincial Minister for Mines and Mineral Development.
Jam Khan Shoro, previously serving as Minister for Livestock and Fisheries was made the new provincial Minister for Local Government, whereas the CM’s special assistant on sports, Fayyaz Ali Butt, was given the portfolio of Public Health Engineering and Rural Development.
The decision for a reshuffle in the cabinet was taken during a two-day meeting of the party’s senior leadership with co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, in Dubai, this week.
Other governance affairs of the party and the province were also brought under discussion.
The Sindh CM while speaking to media personnel a day earlier at the residence of Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani, where he had gone to condole with him over his father-in-law’s demise, said the changes being made in the provincial cabinet was a routine matter of governance.
He said the senior members of provincial cabinet performed exceptionally but this time around younger members of the provincial assembly would also be given responsibilities.
He said the Sindh government despite its limited resources had been doing whatever it could to initiate development projects in the province.