AJK ruling party is also its cabinet

By Tariq Naqash  in the Dawn, Oct 30
MUZAFFARABAD, Oct 29: In contrast to his avowals, AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider on Thursday inducted all but two members of his parliamentary party as ministers and advisers but the euphoric mood of flag holders was overshadowed by discontent among some of them at the allocation of portfolios and positions.

The oath to 22 ministers, excluding the one absentee, was administered by President Raja Zulqarnain Khan whereas a special assistant was given oath by the prime minister.

The new ministers who were given oath were Malick Mohammad Nawaz, senior minister/minister for electricity, Sardar Mohammad Naeem (forests), Raja Naseer Ahmed Khan (local government and rural development), Raja Nisar Ahmed Khan (finance, planning and development, environment), Major (retired) Raja Munsaf Dad (agriculture, irrigation and animal husbandry, armed services board), Chaudhry Mohammad Yousaf (Mangla Dam affairs, cooperatives, wildlife and fisheries), Chaudhry Rukhsar Ahmed (tourism, sports, culture and youth affairs), Naheed Tariq (population welfare), Attiqur Rehman Faizpuri (Auqaf), Ali Shan Soni (transport and prisons), Mirza Shafique Jaral (education-colleges), Dr Mohammad Najeeb Naqi (health), Sardar Farooq Ahmed Tahir (information and information technology), Abdul Qayyum Niazi (revenue), Sardar Sayab Khalid (trade and industry and Rawalakot City Development Project), Col (retired) Raja Mohammad Nasim (works and roads), Ghulam Murtaza Gilani (physical planning and housing), Mrs Noreen Arif (education-schools), Syed Shaukat Ali Shah (food), Chaudhry Mohammad Ismail (rehabilitation and civil defence), Hafiz Hamid Raza (religious affairs, Ushar and Zakat) and Raja Mohammad Siddique (Azad Kashmir Logging and Sawmills Corporation and AK Mineral and Industrial Development Corporation).

Abdul Rashid Abbasi, who was allotted law, justice and parliamentary affairs, could not take oath for being in Karachi as participant of a National Defence University course.

After the oath to ministers, the prime minister administered oath to his special assistant Nasrin Mazhar who was allotted the portfolio of small industries and Technical and Vocational Training Authority (Tevta). Shamim Ali Malick who was appointed adviser on social welfare did not turn up as a mark of protest.

The appointment of an adviser and a special assistant to prime minister with the status of minister was all the more surprising mainly because Mr Haider led faction of MC, which was a main constituent of the previous coalition government, had strongly opposed and also challenged in high court induction of an adviser by then prime minister, terming it ‘unconstitutional.’ http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/ajk-ruling-party-is-also-its-cabinet-009