Pakistan: Sindh’s 13-member cabinet sworn in with only one woman included

Karachi [Pakistan], March 14 (ANI): Only one woman has secured a spot in Sindh’s 13-member cabinet, marking a notable gender imbalance in the provincial leadership, Dawn reported.

In the initial phase, nine members of the 13-member cabinet, many of whom served in Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah’s previous tenure, were sworn in at the Governor House on Monday.

Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori officiated the oath-taking ceremony, which saw attendance from the chief minister and senior bureaucrats. This time, only one woman was among those included in the provincial cabinet, as reported by Dawn.

The newly sworn-in cabinet members are Sharjeel Inam Memon, Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Saeed Ghani, Jam Khan Shoro, Ziaul Hussain Lanjar, Sardar Muhammad Bakhsh Mahar, and Ali Hassan Zardari.

Zulfiqar Ali Shah was unable to take the oath as he was reported to be in Islamabad.

Nine ministers were sworn in, and three advisers were appointed, with Minister Zulfiqar Shah set to take the oath later.

Additionally, the chief minister appointed three advisers–Allah Dino Khan Bhayo, Ehsan ur Rehman Mazari, and Syed Najmi Alam.

Portfolios for ministers and advisers were also allocated by the chief minister.

Sources indicate that the cabinet may undergo further expansion in the coming days.

Sharjeel Memon has been entrusted with the transport and mass transit department and the excise, taxation, and narcotics control department. Previously, he also held the information department alongside transport and mass transit, while excise and taxation were under Mukesh Kumar Chawla along with the parliamentary affairs ministry.

Azra Pechuho, the younger sister of President Asif Zardari, retains her previous portfolio of the health department and the population welfare department, consistent with the PPP-led provincial government’s previous tenure.

Nasir Shah, previously in charge of information and local government departments, now heads the energy department, which was previously under Imtiaz Shaikh, along with the planning & development department.

Sardar Shah continues with his previous responsibilities in the school education and literacy department and the college education department. He has also been assigned the additional portfolio of mines and minerals development.

Saeed Ghani, known for his past roles in various portfolios including information, now oversees the local government department, public health engineering, and rural development department.

Jam Khan Shoro, former irrigation minister, retains his department while also being given the food ministry.

Zia Lanjar, a seasoned lawyer and former provincial law minister, now holds the portfolios of home, law, parliamentary affairs, and criminal prosecution departments.

Muhammad Bux Mahar is now responsible for the agriculture, supply & prices department, sports & youth affairs department, and inquiries and anti-corruption establishment.

Ali Hassan Zardari, a newcomer to the provincial cabinet, has been assigned the prisons department, while Zulfiqar Shah takes on the culture, tourism, antiquities & archives department.

Adviser Allah Dino Bhayo now oversees the forest and wildlife department, Ehsan Mazari takes charge of the inter-provincial coordination department and the cooperative department, while Najmi Alam has been appointed adviser on human settlement, spatial development, social housing development, and the livestock and fisheries department, Dawn reported.