LAHORE - The Punjab government has notified reshuffling in the portfolios of three ministers obviously on the reason that their performance was not up to the mark.
The notification issued by the Cabinet Wing of Civil Secretariat stated that the portfolio of ministry of energy has been taken back from Sher Ali Khan. The portfolio of Baitul Maal and Social Welfare has been withdrawn from Ata Muhammad Maneka and conferred upon Syed Haroon Bokhari whose religious ministry has been given to Maneka. Khwaja Salman Rafiq, who had already performed as Special Assistant to the CM on the Health during the last PML-N term in Punjab, has again been made the CM’s advisor on Health while Khalil Tahir Sindhu has now been left with the portfolio of minorities and human rights affairs.
According to reliable sources, the CM, in view of the hectic activity on the side of energy production, has taken this ministry under his office. The sources said the Punjab government has signed a number of agreements and MoUs with various foreign companies to generate electricity in the province and contribute to the efforts of the Federal government to end the ongoing power crisis. And in order to expedite completion of the projects at the earliest, the CM wanted to keep things under his direct control on the side of electricity production.
It may be mentioned that last month Ata Muhammad Maneka had become highly annoyed with the government after he found himself helpless to serve the masses from his ministry. Maneka also complained that he was being discriminatory treated about the party discussions. However, he was given audience by a high personality in the CM Secretariat and the matter was over. But swapping of his ministry indicates fire was still smouldering under the ashes.
As to the Health Ministry, Tahir Sindhu announced to give up the ministry some days ago as he groused over the insult done to him by the chief minister in public. The minister claimed that he has been meted out this treatment as he had not called MNA Shaista Malik to the Cabinet Committee meeting as she was not enlisted among those who had to attend the meeting.
However, there are reports that Sindhu’s performance as the Health Minister was not up to the mark because dengue virus victims are on the rise once again.