In a modest yet significant ceremony held at the Governor House on Monday, nine members of the newly formed 13-member provincial cabinet of Sindh took the oath of office. Presided over by Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, the event witnessed the participation of Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah alongside senior bureaucrats. Notably, this term’s cabinet includes only one woman, marking a departure from previous compositions.
Among the familiar faces from Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah’s previous tenure 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 newcomer Ali Hassan Zardari. Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah, however, was unable to attend the ceremony as he was reportedly in Islamabad.
Composition of the Cabinet
- Sharjeel Inam Memon: Assigned the transport, mass transit department, excise, taxation, and narcotics control department.
- Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho: Responsible for the health department and population welfare department, maintaining her previous portfolios.
- Syed Nasir Hussain Shah: Entrusted with the energy department, previously held by Imtiaz Shaikh, and the planning & development department.
- Sardar Muhammad Bakhsh Mahar: Retained his portfolios of school education and literacy department and college education department. He was also given the additional responsibility of mines and minerals development.
- Saeed Ghani: Given the local government department, public health engineering, and rural development department, among others.
- Jam Khan Shoro: Retained the irrigation department and was additionally assigned the food ministry.
- Ziaul Hussain Lanjar: Given the home, law, parliamentary affairs, and criminal prosecution departments.
- Ali Hassan Zardari: Newly inducted into the cabinet, given the prisons department.
- Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah: Reported to be in Islamabad during the ceremony, assigned the culture, tourism, antiquities & archives department.
Appointed Advisers
Chief Minister Shah also appointed three advisers to aid in governance:
- Allah Dino Khan Bhayo: Responsible for the forest and wildlife department.
- Ehsan ur Rehman Mazari: Entrusted with the inter-provincial coordination department and cooperative department.
- Syed Najmi Alam: Adviser on human settlement, spatial development, social housing development, and the livestock & fisheries department. Najmi Alam, who also serves as the parliamentary leader of the PPP in the City Council, brings his expertise to these critical areas of development.
This diverse composition of the Sindh cabinet reflects a mix of experience and fresh perspectives, aiming to address the multifaceted challenges facing the province. As they begin their tenure, the cabinet members are expected to work collaboratively towards the progress and prosperity of Sindh.
