According to a press release, the PML-Q leaders expressed sympathy for the people affected by rains and floods in Sindh and said their party would support all measures taken by the federal government to provide relief in affected areas. Government officials said that since the meeting had taken place in the family wing of the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, they had been told to issue only a brief press release.
But PML-Q sources said the Chaudhrys had met the prime minister to convey complaints of cabinet members belonging to their party.
The PML-Q ministers have been unhappy over the treatment meted out to them by the PPP and their main complaint is that they have no hiring and firing powers.
As part of a deal between the PPP and PML-Q in January, the lat ter was given 18 positions in the federal cabinet -- seven ministers, seven ministers of state, two advisers and two special assistants to the prime minister.
But skirmishes over important portfolios started within the PMLQ ministers soon after they had taken oath on May 2.
Riaz Hussain Pirzada refused to take the minority affairs ministry and threatened to resign if the portfolio was not changed. The Chaudhrys gave him the ministry of health.
Chaudhry Anwar Ali Cheema, a relative of the Chaudhrys, who was initially given the health ministry, was moved to the production ministry.
And some ministers belonging to the party lost their portfolios after the devolution of various federal ministries under the 18th Amendment. The government created three new ministries to accommodate them. These are: national harmony, human resource development and professional and technical training.
Akram Masih Gill was made Minister of State for National Harmony. Riaz Pirzada was given the Ministry of Professional and Technical Training. He was not happy and once said: “It’s better to be a simple MNA than to hold a ministry which only exists on papers.” A PML-Q lawmaker said: “People in our constituencies want jobs, but none of our ministers is in a position to do anything for anybody. It’s useless to keep these ministries and attend cabinet meetings.” He said most PML-Q ministers were not happy with their ministries.
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