MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider has shuffled the portfolios of his 11 cabinet members to accommodate the recently inducted seven ministers.

A notification to this effect was issued by the Services and General Administration Department on Wednesday, three days after Mr Haider left the country on a week-long tour to Belgium.

According to the notification, Senior Minister Chaudhry Tariq Farooq was dispossessed of agriculture and animal husbandry but physical planning and housing and irrigation remained with him.

Barrister Syed Iftikhar Ali Gillani was relieved of higher education but he continued to hold elementary and secondary education and Muzaffarabad City Development Project. Additionally, he was also given environment.

Higher education was given to retired Col Waqar Ahmed Noor who was earlier holding the portfolio of planning and development (P&D). Finance department was withdrawn from Dr Najeeb Naqi but health department remained with him.

Similarly, wildlife and fisheries department was withdrawn from Sardar Mir Akbar Khan leaving him with the forests department. Labour, mineral resources and social welfare were withdrawn from Noreen Arif. She is now left with industry and women development.

Minister for Revenue and Evacuee Property Sardar Farooq Sikandar was relieved of population welfare. Civil defence was withdrawn from Chaudhry Masood Khalid, who was given agriculture department instead.

Department of rehabilitation was withdrawn from Nasir Hussain Dar and given to the newly-inducted minister, Raja Mohammad Siddique. Mr Dar was given transport, wildlife and fisheries.

Law, justice and parliamentary affairs was withdrawn from Chaudhry Javed Akhtar and given to the newly-inducted minister, Farooq Ahmed Tahir. Mr Akhtar was given social welfare. Similarly, information technology was withdrawn from Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas and given to the newly-inducted minister, Dr Mustafa Bashir Abbasi apart from Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority and population welfare. Mr Minhas would continue as minister for information and tourism.

Among the other newly-inducted ministers, Chaudhry Shahzad Mehmood was given Azad Kashmir Mineral and Industrial Development Corporation and Small Industries Corporation, Mohammad Ahmed Raza Qadri was given civil defence, State Disaster Management Authority and Rescue 1122, Chaudhry Mohammad Ismail was given animal husbandry and dairy development and Chaudhry Rukhsar Ahmed was given Power Development Organisation.

There was however no change in the portfolios of minister for electricity Raja Nisar Ahmed Khan, minister for local government and rural development Raja Naseer Ahmed Khan, minister for religious affairs and Auqaf Raja Abdul Qayyum, minister for sports, youth, culture, Development Authority Mirpur and Mangla Dam affairs Chaudhry Mohammad Saeed, minister for communication and works Chaudhry Mohammad Aziz, minister for Zakat and Ushr Chaudhry Mohammad Yasin Gulshan, minister for food and food authority Syed Shaukat Ali Shah, and minister for prisons Chaudhry Mohammad Ishaq.

Finance and P&D was retained by the prime ministerwithhimself.

It may be recalled here that as an opposition leader Mr Haider had always advocated a small cabinet and had formed a nine-member cabinet on August 6, 2016, — six days after taking oath of his office.

On Dec 1, the same year, he appointed three more ministers but on April 14, this year, he appointed eight ministers, though one of them resigned in July due to dissatisfaction over his ‘insignificant portfolio’.

On Sept 8 he appointed one minister, butthelatest addition in cabinet on November 3 saw appointment of six ministers, which has raised the total strength of cabinet to 26 – more than 50pc of the total membership of assembly.

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2018