Parliamentary Secretaries Are Not Ministers and Hold No Signing Authority: Sarfraz Bugti

ISLAMABAD: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, while responding to a question from the Leader of the Opposition during the provincial assembly session, clarified that the number of ministers in the provincial cabinet is constitutionally limited after the 18th Amendment, and that parliamentary secretaries do not hold the status or authority of ministers.

He stated, *“Before the 18th Amendment, all 62 members of the Balochistan Assembly used to be ministers, but the amendment clearly fixed the permissible number of cabinet members.”*

Explaining the scope of parliamentary secretaries, the Chief Minister said their role is restricted to managing departmental business within the assembly, responding to questions, and assisting the Chief Minister. He emphasized that a parliamentary secretary cannot formulate policy nor exercise signing authority, as only the relevant minister heads the department.

Bugti further said the government has provided offices to parliamentary secretaries merely for convenience so they can better handle assembly-related matters. *“We have never referred to a parliamentary secretary as a minister, nor given them the status of one,”* he added.

He reiterated that while the Chief Minister has the authority to appoint any member as parliamentary secretary, the position does not grant departmental control. Parliamentary secretaries may answer questions in the assembly, but only in the presence of the minister, whereas policymaking and administrative authority remain exclusively with the minister in charge.