KARACHI, May 2: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad on Friday afternoon administered the oath to 20 more ministers in the second phase of expansion of the Sindh cabinet at a simple ceremony held at the Darbar Hall of the Governor’s House.

With the induction of 20 new ministers, the total strength of the Pakistan People’s Party-led provincial cabinet has reached 41. Four advisers with the status of ministers are in addition to the total strength of the cabinet.

Out of the 20 ministers sworn in on Friday, 13 belong to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which has agreed to share power in the province after several rounds of talks between their leaders.

Here are thumbnail sketches of the MQM ministers.

Shoaib Bukhari: A lawyer by profession, Mr Bukhari is a seasoned parliamentarian who has been elected from PS-107 (Liaquatabad) for the fifth consecutive time since 1990. He had also served in the Liaquat Jatoi-led Sindh cabinet as labour minister in 1997. He was minister for planning and development in the Ali Mohammad Mahar and Arbab Rahim-led cabinets from 2002-2007. He is a member of the MQM’s coordination committee.

Adil Siddiqui: Elected from PS-100 (New Karachi) for the second time, Mr Siddiqui also served as minister for labour, transport, industries and commerce in the previous Sindh government. He also held the additional portfolio of cooperatives. He is a member of the MQM’s coordination committee. He did his masters in Public Administration from the University of Karachi.

Abdul Haseeb: He was elected from PS-92 (Pak Colony) for the first time in 2008. He is the joint in-charge of the coordination committee. Earlier, he was in-charge of the party’s labour wing.

Faisal Subzwari: Elected for the second consecutive time from PS-126 (Gulistan-i-Jauhar), Mr Subzwari was the former chairman of the All Pakistan Mohajir Students Organisation (APMSO). He is the deputy parliamentary leader of the MQM in the Sindh Assembly. He did his masters in Economics.

Abdul Rauf Siddiqui: He was elected from PS-114 (Mehmoodabad). He also returned to the Sindh Assembly in 2002 and had served as minister for excise and taxation, then home affairs and then culture in the previous government. While serving as home minister, Mr Siddiqui had bridged the gap between the MQM and some police officials whom the party blamed for killing its workers in ‘staged police encounters.’ The MQM had sacked him when he was excise and taxation minister for his inefficiency.

Dr Saghir Ahmed: He was elected to the Sindh Assembly for the first time in 2005 through a by-election. Dr Ahmed won a provincial assembly seat – PS-117 (PIB Colony) – in the 2008 election. He was a worker of the APMSO and then the MQM. He had served as minister for the environment and alternative energy in the Arbab Rahim-led Sindh cabinet. He is a doctor by profession and completed his MBBS from Dow Medical College.

Khalid bin Walayat: Elected for the second consecutive time to the Sindh Assembly from PS-105 (Federal B Area), Mr Walayat is a lawyer by profession. He was first elected as MPA in a by-election.

Nadia Gabol: The only woman minister from the MQM, Ms Gabol made her way to the Sindh Assembly through a women’s reserved seat. She joined the party in 2006 and had contested but lost the Feb 18 general election from Lyari. She is a law graduate from Manchester Metropolitan University and a niece of Pakistan People’s Party MNA Nabil Gabol.

Dr Mohammad Ali Shah: A well-known orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Shah made his way to the Sindh Assembly for the first time in the 2008 election. He was elected from PS-103 (North Nazimabad). He is also known for his passion for cricket and runs a stadium in North Nazimabad.

Raza Haroon: He is a senior member of the MQM. He was a member of the coordination committee and worked at the party’s international secretariat in London. He has been elected for the first time from PS-115 (PECHS).

S. Askari Taqvi: A retired bureaucrat, Mr Taqvi is a member of the MQM’s technocrat committee and research and advisory council (RAC). He was elected from PS-113 (Defence and Clifton) for the first time.

Shaikh Mohammad Afzal: Elected from PS-123 (Korangi), Mr Afzal is a member of the MQM’s Karachi Tanzeemi Committee.

Zubair Ahmed Khan: He was elected from PS-48 (Hyderabad) for the first time. Mr Khan is a long-time party loyalist.

Here are pen sketches of the PPP ministers.

Mohammad Rafique Engineer: Elected from old Karachi’s Lyari PS-109 constituency, by profession Mr Engineer is an advocate. He has returned to the assembly for the second time.

He has inherited a penchant for politics from his father, who was very well known for his progressive politics from the platform of the Pak Labour Board.

Rafique Engineer did his matriculation from Haji Abdullah Haroon Vocational Training Institute, Khadda, Lyari and B.Tech from Government College for Technology, Site.

As a student activist, he joined the People’s Student Federation in 1979. In 1986 he held the office of general-secretary of the People’s Youth Federation, Karachi division, and also represented youths at an international convention in North Korea.

In 1988 he was appointed as coordinator to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah.

On the advice of late PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto, he studied law and after graduating from Urdu Law College he started his practice.

Before his election as MPA, he was elected as member of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, where he was chairman of a sub-committee.

He is at present General-Secretary of the PPP’s Karachi division.

Makhdoom Jameeluzzaman: He is the PPP’s Hyderabad division president and also the eldest son of Makhdoom Amin Fahim, chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party-Parliamentarians.

Aside from being the scion of a spiritual family from Hala, he has inherited the PPP’s politics from his late grandfather Makhdoom Mohammad Zaman Talibul Maula, who was one of the founder members of the party and a senior vice-president.

Makhdoom Jameel was elected to the assembly in the 2002 elections. This is his second term from PS-43 (Hyderabad).

He enjoys literary pursuits and like his grandfather has a keen interest in music and poetry.

Zahid Bhurgari: He was elected as MPA from PS-47 for the first time in 2002. He is president of the PPP’s Hyderabad district and is known for his commitment and dedication to the party and its leadership.

Syed Ali Mardan Shah: A senior activist of the party, Mr Shah has represented the PS-70 (Mirpurkhas) constituency since 1996. He was also a minister in late Abdullah Shah’s cabinet.A soft spoken person, he is the PPP’s Tharparker president.

Ali Nawaz Shah Rizvi: Mr Rizvi has returned to the Sindh Assembly for the second time from the PS-51 constituency (Tando Allahyar). Earlier, he was elected MNA in 1997 from the seat vacated by Benazir Bhutto.

He is also a founding member of the PPP, who commands respect among his colleagues for his upright role in the party.

Agha Taimoor Pathan: He is the son of late Agha Tariq Pathan, a former PPP minister and outstanding leader. This will be his second term from the PS-11 (Shikarpur) constituency, as he earlier returned in the by-election held in 2006 after the seat fell vacant due to the demise of his father.

Dr Mohan Lal: A member of the provincial assembly against reserved seats for minorities. He is also president of PPP’s Jamshoro district.