2 PPP rebels could be given ministries

Staff Report

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Ali Muhammad Mehr said on Monday the two Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) defectors, Dr Suhrab Sarki and Bano Saghir, could be considered for ministerial positions when the cabinet was reshuffled.

“Should more PPP MPAs come over to the treasury benches, his government would “accord them honour”, he told journalists at a reception, adding the some were already in contact with the government. Last week, he promised to reshuffle the cabinet did not give a date.

The reception was given in honour of Dr Sarki and Ms Sagheer by Fisheries Minister Mir Manzoor Panhwar, who himself became minister after joining the PPPP-Patriots. The chief minister denied the two PPPP dissidents had come over to the treasury benches under a deal. He said Dr Sarki had joined the treasury because of family relations with him.

According to him, some more PPP MPAs were in contact with him and his government was prepared to accept them. “We would welcome them and accord them honour if they join us,” he said.

Asked about the presence of PPP MPA Ahmed Ali Jalbani at the reception, Mr Mehr said he and Mr Jalbani had family relations and he had invited him.

Asked about the absence of many Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam (PML-QA) dissident members, including Revenue Minister Altaf Unar and Population Welfare Minister Imtiaz Sheikh, the chief minister repeated his assertion that many of them had been holding meetings with him.

He pointed out that some were even present at the reception and they were Sultan Khuhawar, Mahmood Alam Jamote, Mehboob Bijarani and Dost Muhammad Memon. He agreed with a questioner that the dissident MPAs were holding meetings together, but denied the meetings were against him.

He said the government was concerned about the security situation in Mr Unar’s home district of Larkana, but added that the government would take action to improve it.

He declared he was fully satisfied with his administration’s one-year performance, and insisted it would complete its five-year term. About Shaista Almani’s plight, Mr Mehr said he had only learned about her case from the newspapers and that no one had approached him to offer her assistance.

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