LAHORE, Aug 25: Punjab Senior Minister Raja Riaz has 'requested' Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to either empower him or take back his portfolio.

At an iftar reception at his residence on Wednesday, Mr Riaz told reporters he was irrigation minister but the chief minister did not consult him while ordering breaches of embankments during floods in the province.

He alleged on the order of the chief minister a canal was dug to irrigate 25 acres of sugarcane which belonged to him (chief minister) in Chiniot. He demanded that the chief minister hold an independent inquiry into the '”illegal” breaching of different embankments.

The senior minister, who is also parliamentary head of his party, said the chief minister was reluctant to give health and education ministries to any of the legislators whether from his own party or from coalition partners.

“If Shahbaz Sharif is not interested in empowering me, he should better take the ministry back from me,” he added.

He said the incident of lynching of two brothers in Sialkot had exposed the chief minister's “good governance”.

“Why the CM did not remove RPO Zulfiqar Cheema when he was encouraging parading of bodies of the suspects on roads,” he asked and said Cheema was only shown the door when he refused to allow the PML-N to rig a by-election in his jurisdiction.

He alleged the “Sharif court” had disqualified a PPP candidate for a Bahawalpur by-poll just two days before the polling in order to pave the way for PML-N candidate's victory. “This conspiracy was prepared at the Chief Minister's Secretariat,” he alleged.