MUZAFFARABAD(National Times)- Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Iftikhar Gillani allocated portfolios to his eight-member council of ministers on Saturday, a day after the relatively small cabinet was sworn into office.
According to a government notification, the assignments were made under Rule 3(4) of the Rules of Business (Revised), 1985. Mr Gillani retained several key portfolios, apparently pending elections for seven seats in the Poonch and Sudhnoti districts and a possible expansion of the cabinet.
The retained departments include Local Government and Rural Development, Communications and Works, Finance and Inland Revenue, Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, Information and Information Technology, and Planning and Development.
PM Gillani retains finance, planning, communications, local govt, information, IT
Among the newly assigned ministers, Sardar Mir Akbar was given Physical Planning and Housing, along with the Bagh Development Authority. Waqar Ahmed Noor will oversee Forests, Wildlife and Fisheries, while Dr Mustafa Bashir Abbasi was assigned health.
Chaudhry Azhar Sadiq was given Higher Education, and Sardar Umair Naeem was assigned Elementary and Secondary education.
Raja Saqib Majeed will handle Energy and Water resources, Raja Muhammad Riasat was given Revenue and Rehabilitation, and Chaudhry Abdul Rehman Arain was entrusted with Tourism, Industry, Labour and Mineral Resources.
After the portfolio distribution, Mr Gillani chaired a high-level meeting to review the contours and priorities of the 100-day programme, which officials said focuses on health, education, youth opportunities, public facilities and infrastructure.
Mr Gillani said the PML-N government would pursue its good governance agenda in line with the vision of party president Nawaz Sharif, making all-out efforts to provide basic facilities to people at their doorsteps.
