The rift between the caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar and provincial Health Minister Saad Niaz deepened on Thursday when the former rejected the latter’s accusations of interfering in his department.

A statement from the CM House stated that the interim health minister had issued “irresponsible and baseless statements” which needed to be clarified.

Sources told Aaj News that differences between the two were over the cancellation of a multibillion-rupee tender linking to the purchase of four robotic systems for the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Gambat Hospital and Liaquat University of Medical Sciences Hospital and the appointment of a member to the Sindh Energy Board.

Niaz had apparently opposed the appointment of Shabbar Zaidi for the post.

Later, the health minister described the robot-assisted procedures as a “waste of money”.

Officials had informed the CM that it was a best project of the Sindh government.

Sources said that the health minister did not attend a meeting convened by the chief minister. Baqar had expressed concerns over the state of hospitals in the province.

On Wednesday, the health minister in a statement claimed that the decision to stop the purchase of robots was taken in the light of expert surgeons. Irregularities were also noted in the purchase of robotic systems, Niaz alleged.

But the CM House’s statement said that Niaz had “failed to improve the performance of health facilities under his department and was highly offended when he was made accountable”.

It claimed that Niaz, instead of focusing on the performance of healthcare facilities, was “wasting his time and energy to settle his personal scores” and did not spare the SIUT from his criticism.

It added that Baqar would spare “no minister, secretary or any other official” if they were found to be inefficient or negligent.