KARACHI  -    The Sindh government on Monday reallocated portfolios of 15 of its cabinet members including 12 minister and three advisers with major changes in education, local government and information departments.

The important charge of the local government department was once again given to Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, who is recently inducted in the cabinet along with three other ministers and two advisers, after he ran a successful campaign for party candidate in recently held Ghotki by-polls.

Earlier, PPP provincial lawmaker from Karachi Saeed Ghani was serving as the local bodies minister and faced criticism from political and other circles over bad performance during rains in Karachi and Hyderabad.

Ghani, however, has denied that his removal was linked from the performance and said that the decision was mulled over and decided some days back.

Further responding over what would happen to promises of cleanliness in Karachi made by him, the provincial minister said that he would fulfill all his commitments. 

According to a notification issued from the chief secretary Sindh, the chief minister allocated the portfolios of the provincial ministers with Nasir Hussain Shah becoming minister for local government, forest and religious affairs.

Abdul Bari Pitafi, another lawmaker who recently joined the cabinet after earlier resigning to run campaign for Ghotki by-poll, was allotted livestock and fisheries ministry.

Sohail Anwar Sial, a trusted man of the top PPP leadership especially Faryal Talpur and recently inducted into the cabinet, was allotted Enquiries and Anti-corruption establishment after depriving Murtaza Wahab from the portfolio. He was also allotted key portfolios of Irrigation, Zakat and Ushr and Auqaf.

Murtaza Wahab was although deprived of his another portfolio of Information and Archives department but would continue to serve as spokesman for the provincial government other than also holding portfolios of law, environment, climate change and coastal development.

Saeed Ghani, the former local government minister, would serve as the minister for information and archives and labour department.

The provincial minister Hari Ram would serve as minister for minorities and food while Muhammad Ismail Rahu was allotted agriculture ministry.

In another key development, provincial education minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah was deprived of education ministry but would continue to serve as provincial minister for culture and tourism. No one is given charge of the education ministry and would work under the chief minister Sindh authority till further orders.

Shabbir Ali Bijarani was allotted Mines and Minerals, Public Health and Rural Development department while provincial minister Faraz Dero and Muhammad Taimur Talpur were allotted portfolios of Rehabilitation and Information Science and Technology.

Ghulam Murtaza Baloch and another new entrant in the provincial cabinet as minister Jam Ikramullah Dharejo were allotted ministries of human settlement and industries, commerce and cooperation department.

The provincial chief of the Pakistan People’s Party Nisar Ahmed Khuhro once again made it to the provincial cabinet although as an advisor to the chief minister on Works and Services and Universities and Boards. Khuhro did not participated in the polls after being disqualified by an election tribunal over hiding his wife details in election records. 

Syed Aijaz Ali Shah Sherazi, who was also appointed as an advisor, was given portfolio of social welfare department.