Caretaker cabinets of Punjab & Sindh take oath

Supreme Court dismisses five petitions challenging the

candidacy of General Musharraf
Imran Khan on hunger strike in jail
Written by: Jawad Mazhar (Special correspondent for BosNewsLife in Pakistan)

Karachi/Islamabad, Pakistan, Nov 19th, (BosNewsLife): The caretaker Chief

Minister of Sindh Justice (Rtd) Abdul Qadir Halepoto and his 14-member
caretaker cabinet sworn-in Monday at the Governor House here.

Governor of Sindh Dr. Ishhrat-ul-Ibad took oath from the new Chief Minister and
his cabinet in a ceremony.

The caretaker provincial ministers and their portfolios are:

Brig. (Retd.) Akhter Zamin- Home Affairs, Diwan Yousaf Farooqui- Finance, Haji
Irshad Memon- Auqaf, Religious and Minorities Affairs, Ijaz Shah Shirazi-
Agriculture and Food, Nadira Panjwani- Women Development and Population
Planning, Shujat Baig- Education and Literacy, Amber Raza Nancy- Culture,
Tourism, Sports and Youth Affairs, Fauzia Lari- Health, Arif Ali Abbasi-Labour,
Transport, Industries, Commerce Syed Jalal Shah Jamote-Planning and
Development, Jam Karam Ali- Environment, Alternate Energy and Information
Technology,

The portfolios of provincial ministers Chaudhry Iftikhar, Dr. Karim Mahar and Pir
Sibghatullah Rashdi will be announced later.

Former chief minister of Sindh Arbab Ghulam Rahim, former speaker Muzaffar
Ali Shah and other dignitaries attended the oath taking ceremony.

The caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab, Justice (Rtd.) Shaikh Aijaz Nisar along
with his 17-member cabinet took oath of the office on Monday.

The oath taking ceremony was held here at Governor House where Governor
Punjab Khalid Maqbool administered oath to the new cabinet and also announced
the portfolios of the caretaker provincial ministers.

Mumtaz Khan Minhaes was awarded Livestock portfolio, Khursheed Zaman

Qureshi given Agriculture ministry, Khawaja Muhammad Jalaluddin Roomi
Industiry, Prof. Dr. Mir Afilbos Education, Mubashir Luqman Information
Technology, Mian Muhammad Shafiq Commerce, Barrister Mehmood Shaikh
Law, Maqbool Illahi Malik Human Rights, Sohail Afzal Special Education, Saad
Hasanuddin Forest and Fisheries, Justice (Retd.) Asif Jan Local Government,
Shahzad Azam Khan Labor and Manpower, Mian Shafqat Ali Housing and
Physical Planning, Senator Syed Dilawar Abbas Irrigation, Walid Tariq Sehgal
Excise and Makhdoom Iftikhar-ul-Hasan Mineral Development.

Later, talking to media the caretaker Chief Minister, Shiakh Aijaz Nisar said he has
to focus on one-point agenda that is to ensure holding free, fair and transparent
elections.

Any decision with regard to the release of the detained political leaders will be
taken after announcement of election schedule, he added.

The Caretaker Chief Minister of Balochistan, Saleh Muhammad Bhotani along

with his 11-member cabinet took oath of the office on Monday.

Governor, Balochistan, Awais Ghani administered oath at a ceremony held here at

Governor House and attended by high civil and military officials.

The caretaker Chief Minister, Saleh Bhotani, who has served as provincial
minister several times, hails from Dareji area located in District Lasbela.

The members of the caretaker set-up of Balochistan include Saadat Ali Hazara,
Amjad Rasheed, Nawab Ghaus Buksh Barozai, Mir Muhammad Murad Abro, Mir
Arif Muhammad Hasni, Dr. Atta Muhammad Gul, Sardar Haider Khan Nasir,
Abdul Ghaffar Baloch, Nawabzada Aurangzeb Jogezai, Roshan Khursheed
Barocha and Nawabzada Saifullah Magsi.

Chief of Tehrik-e-Insaf Imran Khan has started hunger strike till death in the jail,
party sources said.

According to Tehrik-e-Insaf sources party chief Imran Khan has started hunger
strike till death in Dera Ghazi Khan Prison, for restoration of the constitution and
reinstatement of the judges that were deposed under the Provisional Constitutional
Order (PCO).

Imran Khan has said he would continue hunger strike till return of the judiciary to
its pre Nov. 3 shape.
Supreme Court on Monday threw out five major challenges to President Pervez
Musharraf's re-election, leaving one to be heard later in the week, the attorney
general told a foreign news agency.

"There were five petitions, they have all been dismissed. There is only one left and
that will be heard on Thursday," Attorney General Malik Mohammad Qayyum told
the news agency.

The apex court dismissed the petitions of Lawyers’ Forum and Dr. Anwar-ul-Haq
because the lawyers of the petitioners were not present in court.

Justice Faqueer Muhammad Khokhar, a member of the full court, expressing

annoyance over Shafqat Abbasi, the counsel of Makhdoom Amin Fahim, said:
“You are committing contempt of the court. Amin Fahim will be disqualified if we
have written a line.”

The full court also resented over the stand of Justice Wajihuddin Ahmed’s
advocate on record M.S. Khattak and dismissed appeal against eligibility of the
president.

Peoples Party’s Makhdoom Amin Fahim’s lawyer Shafqat Abbasi withdrawn the
petition against candidacy of President Musharraf.

Jawad Mazher ends.