QUETTA: Balochistan’s caretaker Chief Minister Mir Ali Mardan Domki inducted five ministers into his cabinet on Monday. They include a retired army officer, an educationist, and a former minister.

Governor Malik Abdul Wali Khan Kakar administered oath to the five ministers.

The five are: retired Captain Zubair Jamali, Amjad Rasheed, Jan Ach­a­kzai, Dr Qadir Bakhsh Baloch and Prince Ahmed Ali Ahmedzai.

The caretaker chief minister, Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan, Provincial Police Chief Abdul Khaliq Sheikh and Mir Abdul Khaliq Jamali were among those who attended the ceremony.

The chief minister said more ministers would take oath in the second phase, expected to be launched this month. “The strength of the interim cabinet will be 14 ministers,” Mr Domki told reporters.

Three advisers were also named. They are: Sha­nia Khan, a coordinator for former chief minister Bizenjo, Sardarzada Umair Muhammad Hasni, who served as special ass­istant to former chief minister Jam Kamal Khan, and Danish Langove.

Portfolios

Later the chief minister allotted portfolios to the newly inducted minist­ers. Retired captain Zubair Jamali was given the portfolios of home, tribal affa­irs, prison and the Provin­cial Disaster Management Authority.

The finance and revenue portfolio went to Amjad Rasheed, while Jan Achakzai was named information minister.

Dr Qadir Bakhsh Baloch will be minister for education and tourism while Prince Ahmed Ali Ahmed­zai was awarded the portfolio of commerce, energy and excise and taxation.

Capitan Zubair Jamali belongs to a political family of Jamali tribe. His father, Mir Abdul Khaliq Jamali, was once in the Awami League, but later joined the Pakistan Peoples Party and served as minister in a caretaker government.

Zubair Jamali is the brother-in-law of former prime minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali.

Prince Ahmed Ali Ahmedzai belongs to the Khan of Kalat’s family and is the son of the late Prince Mohyuddin Baloch, who served as federal minister in Gen Ziaul Haq’s government.

Prince Ahmed is a cousin of former chief minister Jam Kamal Khan.

Amjad Rasheed, who was named finance minister, belongs to the social sector and was running an NGO name Taraqqi Foundation.

Dr Qadir Bakhsh Baloch is an educationist and recently retired as vice chancellor of the Chakar Khan University, Sibi.

Jan Achakzai is a former journalist who worked for an English-language daily and the BBC. He was a spokesman for the federal government when the PML-N was in power.

According to an official notification issued on Monday evening, portfolios were also allotted to the three advisers to the chief minister.

Shania Khan will look after Social Welfare and Women’s Development, Mir Danish Langove will be the CM’s adviser on irrigation, and Sardarzada Umair Muhammad Hasni will be adviser to the chief minister on mines and minerals.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2023