Punjab CM relinquishes eight ‘additional’ ministries

LAHORE: After much criticism from the opposition, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has handed over eight ministries to cabinet members, assistants and advisors.

Sharif, who previously held 18 portfolios, still maintains ten additional departments including Health, Home, Transport and Tourism, among others.

There are a total of nine ministers in the Punjab cabinet, who are working with additional departments.

After the passing of the 18th Amendment, a cabinet should have 39 ministers according to the ratio of the 10% formula for total members.

Up to March 2011, the cabinet was running with 16 ministers, nine from Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) and seven from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). After the PPP ministers quit, the cabinet was left with nine members, while the rest of the portfolios were under Sharif’s charge.

Interestingly, Sharif has also been accused of violating rules and allowing advisors and assistants to attend cabinet meetings. A petition has also been moved in the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the portfolios held by the chief minister.

The petitioner states that according to the rules, the relevant minister is responsible to conduct the business relating to his department in the assembly, whereas the chief minister does not find time to attend the assembly sessions.

The portfolios handed over by Shahbaz Sharif are:

Management and Professional Development: Charge given to former bureaucrat and advisor Saeed Mehdi.

Public Prosecution: Former inspector general (IG) Jehanzeb Burki, who is also advisor on Police Affairs, has been given the
portfolio.

Local Government: Given to Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah.

Communication and Works: Provincial Minister for Agriculture Amhad Ali Aulakh has been given the portfolio. He already holds six additional portfolios.

Housing and Urban Development: The portfolio has been given to Minister for Labour Haji Ehsanuddin Qureshi, who already holds two additional departments.

Energy: portfolio given to provincial minister for Planning and Development Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor.

Information: Given to Senator Pervaiz Rashid, who is also assistant to the chief minister.

Food and Environment: Portfolio given to assistant to the chief minister, Manshaullah Butt.

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Banking court rejects bail plea of Khuraam Rasool

LAHORE: A banking court in Lahore on Thursday rejected the bail plea of the former media coordinator of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Khurram Rasool, FTNews reported.

Earlier on Monday, a local court extended physical remand of Rasool in Rs76 million fraud case by four days.

A bail before arrest was acquired by Rasool for the case in question. The court rejected the interim bail for non-follow up.

Rasool was already arrested in a separate case.

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SC orders release of two owners of pharma companies

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered to release of two of the owners of pharmaceutical companies on bail and directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to submit an investigative report in the drugs reaction case, FTNews reported.

The order was issued as a three-judge bench, headed by Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, heard a suo motu case over deaths in Punjab allegedly caused by reaction from medicines given out to patients by the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC).

The FIA told the court that one pharmaceutical company had been manufacturing medicines without a license.

Moreover, Advocate General Punjab Ashtar Ausaf submitted a report of a committee formed by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to look into the issue.

He told the court that most of the deaths were caused by heart attacks. The medicines suspected to have caused the deaths have been sent to Belgium, Switzerland and the United Kingdom for testing.

Moreover, when told that owner of Alpha Pharmaceuticals had been arrested on suspicion of involvement, Justice Jillani inquired as to how anyone can be arrested when no post-mortem reports and no findings of an investigation were presented.

The court adjourned the hearing to Feb 6 and ordered the release of two out of the three arrested company owners on bail.

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