7-member caretaker Sindh cabinet sworn in

KARACHI: A seven-member caretaker Sindh cabinet comprising relatively lesser-known and some new faces were sworn in on Friday. Sindh Governor Mohammad Zubair administered the oath to the members in a ceremony at the Governor House.

Caretaker Sindh chief minister Fazal-ur-Rehman, provincial police chief IGP AD Khowaja, senior government officials, retired bureaucrats and civil society members attended the oath-taking ceremony, which was conducted by Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon.

Later, after laying a floral wreath and offering Fateha at the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah with his new cabinet, CM Rehman told the media that he has inducted non-political and respectable people in the cabinet.

He said Sindh was the first province to appoint a caretaker chief executive and now he is the first to induct a caretaker cabinet. “My cabinet is balanced, and we have no agenda except to hold free, fair and transparent elections.”

Rehman said he will try his best to establish good governance during his tenure. Responding to a question, he said: “We have inducted only seven ministers because a small cabinet will be enough for routine work. We can induct one or two more if needed.”

On another query, he said he has chaired two meetings for proper distribution of irrigation water so that growers of tail-end areas receive some water. “We have also taken a decision regarding proper distribution of water in Karachi.”

Earlier, presiding over his first informal cabinet meeting, CM Rehman said that holding free and fair elections is a big responsibility and, God willing, the cabinet will prove to be neutral and impartial in this matter.

“This is our introductory meeting, and after the allotment of portfolios to the ministers, a formal meeting will be held in which secretaries of important departments will give presentation to the cabinet on the performance of their respective departments.”

During the informal meeting, the cabinet members introduced themselves and the chief executive introduced them to the provincial secretaries, including the Sindh Planning & Development Board chairman and the principal secretary.