By Habib Khan Ghori

KARACHI: In what appears to be a move to spare itself a possible embarrassment in court, the Sindh government on Monday removed 12 of the 17 advisers to the Sindh chief minister from the provincial cabinet with immediate effect.

The 12 advisers, including the chief spokesperson for the provincial government, were relieved of their offices through a notification dated Jan 29.

The size of the Sindh cabinet was now reduced from 73 to 61 – 46 ministers, five advisers, nine special assistants and one adviser to the Sindh government.

The Sindh government`s decision came in the backdrop of a petition, due to be taken up by the Sindh High Court on Feb 7, challenging the appointment of more than five advisers to the chief minister in violation of Article 130 of the Constitution.

The petitioner, Alf Jatoi, took the plea that under Article 130 of the Constitution, the government shall not appoint more than five advisers while the CM had appointed more than 15 advisers and allotted them portfolios which was also contrary to the law. Besides, advisers to the chief minister were appointed from among experts while the present lot was inducted on account of favouritism and nepotism. They were unelected and as such responsible to none but being paid salaries and costly perks at the expense of the public exchequer.

Those relieved are: Sharmila Farooqui (adviser on information and archives); Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh (adviser on tourism); Ghulam Quadir Malkani (adviser on coastal development authority); Mufti Ferozuddin Hazarvi (adviser on religious affairs); Sardar Aamir Khan Bhutto; Jamil Ahmed Soomro; Muhammad Siddique Abu Bhai; Jehangir Dilawar Khanji; Dinshaw Ankel Saria; Babar Leghari; Muhammad Kamran Behan and Waqas Malik.

The five advisers retained in the cabinet are: Dr Kaiser Bengali (adviser on planning and development); Zubair Ahmed Motiwala (adviser on investment); Imamuddin Shauqeen of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (adviser on mines and mineral); Rashid Hussain Rabbani of the Pakistan People`s Party and Khwaja Izahr-ul-Hasan of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

Former Sindh chief secretary Fazal-ur-Rehman, who was also appointed adviser to the Sindh government after his retirement, was not relieved of his office.

While no reason was cited in the notification for the downsizing in the provincial cabinet, officials claimed that the decision was taken in the light of the provision inducted in the Constitution after the 18 Amendment.

They said that Sindh was the first province which took such a decision in compliance with the Constitution.

Meanwhile, the leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly, Jam Madad Ali, termed the decision a positive step to reduce expenditure and asked the government to reduce the size of the provincial cabinet in accordance with what envisaged was in the 18 Amendment.

Imtiaz Shaikh, who is one of the advisers relieved by the government, told Dawn that the government had consulted his party, the PML-F, before issuing the notification.

Sharmila Farooqui, who was also among those relieved on Monday, told Dawn that it was the prerogative of the PPP to give any assignment to any one and party workers were not supposed to question it.

She said that she would continue to work as information secretary of the women wing of the PPP, Sindh chapter.
Source: Dawn
Date:2/1/2011