A 14-member expansion in the federal cabinet after the unlikely political marriage between Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q) in the name of reconciliation will raise current expenditure considerably, according to analysts.
An expanded cabinet compromises the President's claim made during his mandatory address to the joint sitting of parliament on March 22 where he noted a reduction in size of the cabinet as an achievement, analysts argue. In the President's words, "we are not afraid to lead; and we know the way. The government reduced the cabinet size."
"What happened to the austerity plan? Politicians are engaged in maximising their personal welfare instead of public welfare," commented one official of the Ministry of Industries. The Ministry of Industries and Production has been consigned to four ministers, two federal ministers, one minister of state and an advisor to the Prime Minister, with the status of a Federal Minister.
According to the notification issued by the Cabinet Division, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, has been allocated the Ministry of Industries whereas Engineer Amir Muqam will assume the charge of the Ministry of Production. Sardar Shahjehan Yousaf will be the Minister for State of Production while Muhammad Basharat Raja will be Prime Minister's Advisor on Industries with the status of a Federal Minister.
Previously, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani was running the Ministry of Industries and Production. He, however, had given the charge of the corporations' affairs to his close relatives who, it was being alleged, are engaged in violation of rules and regulations for personal monetary gain. A group of three front men were, it was further reported, the real power behind these corporations. Bijarani is expected to be given the portfolio of Minister of Inter Provincial Co-ordination (IPC) as Mian Raza Rabbani has reportedly resigned in protest against PML-Q and PPP deal.
Ministry of Health which now deals only with a couple of hospitals has been distributed between two Ministers. Anwar Ali Cheema, hailing from Sargodha will be the Federal Minister for Health whereas Akram Masih Gill is the Minister of State for Health. Likewise, Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis has been distributed between Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain and Sheikh Waqas Akram. Ministry of Housing and Works will be run by Faisal Saleh Hayat (Federal Minister) and Raza Hayat Hiraj (State Minister).
A joke doing the rounds is that a ministry that has done little work to-date because its objectives are against the PPP's economic philosophy will also have two ministers: Ghaus Bux Mehar will be the Federal Minister for Privatisation whereas Rana Muhammad Tauseef will be Junior Minister.
Riaz Hussain Pirzada has been given the portfolio of Minister of Minorities but the portfolio of Khawja Sheeraz Mehmood is yet to be decided. Ministry of Defence Production has also been divided between Chaudhry Pervez Elahi and Sardar Buhadar Khan Sehar.
Prime Minister has also appointed Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar son of former Deputy Speaker National Assembly, Nawaz Khokhar, as Advisor with the status of a Federal Minister. Syed Qasim Shah and Ahmad Yar Heraj have been appointed Prime Minister's Special Assistants with the status of Ministers of State. Ironically most of the newly inducted PML (Q) ministers had been in the forefront in criticising the government for its cabinet size.
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