Tareen given finance portfolio as Imran reshuffles his cabinet
Azhar appointed energy minister; Ayub made minister for economic affairs; Shibli gets science and technology ministry; Bakhtiar given industries and production porfolio
Shaukat Tareen was on Friday appointed the new finance minister a litle over two weeks ater Hammad Azhar was given this porfolio.
Tareen had earlier served as the finance minister during the tenure of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). He is neither a member of the National Assembly nor the Senate. Therefore, being unelected he can remain the cabinet member for a maximum period of six months.
Azhar has now been given the porfolio of energy. He replaced Omar Ayub, who was made the minister for economic affairs.
Former information minister Shibli Faraz, who was replaced by Fawad Chaudhry, has been made the minister for science and technology — the office previously headed by Chaudhry.
Khusro Bakhtiar has been made the minister for industries and production in place of Azhar.
Last month, Prime Minister Imran Khan had removed then finance minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and given the porfolio to Minister for Industries Hammad Azhar as an additional charge.
At the time it was stated that though Azhar was given an additional charge of finance minister, he would continue to serve as finance minister on a long-term basis as the prime minister was quite satisfied and happy with Azhar’s performance.
Earlier this month, the government had made an offer to Tareen to join the federal cabinet as special assistant or adviser to the prime minister, but he linked his joining the federal cabinet with the decision on an accountability reference that he has been facing for nearly a decade.
He had said he would not accept the offer, which he claimed had been made for a second time, unless a case against him filed by the National Accountability Bureau ( NAB) was disposed of.
MASSIVE PACKAGE FOR SINDH: Imran announced a massive Rs440 billion package for 14 under-developed districts of Sindh, saying the effects of the investment will be visible within a month.
His remarks came as he addressed a ceremony in connection with the government’s flagship Kamyab Jawan initiative in Sukkur.
The premier arrived in the city on a day’s trip and later visited Karachi where he met top government and public representatives. “Sindh has always been deprived of the basic facilities, while the underprivileged have had no rights,” said the prime minister. “If we can equip the youth with skills and education, we can turn them into an asset for the country,” he added.
Aimed at the socio economic development of the districts, the package envisages the construction of Nai Gaj dam for the irrigation of 28,800 acres of land and the 306-kilometre long Sukkur-hyderabad motorway.
Under the scheme, rehabilitation of 200,000 acres of land will provide livelihood opportunities for the people.
The package will also ensure gas supply to 160 villages and further provide 30,000 annual electricity connections. Improving power transmission to help reduce line losses and outages is also part of the scheme.
As part of the education reforms, the ratio of higher education will be brought to 52 per cent. Moreover 14 passport offices will also be upgraded under the package.
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that the allocation the premier announced would be in addition to Rs1,100 billion of the Karachi package. He also said that the next two years would be the years of development as the government was taking all possible steps to end a sense of deprivation among the people of Sindh.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) spokesperson Murtaza Wahab on Friday Imran only makes announcements but does not fulfill his promises as the previous projects are still pending.
The PPP spokesperson held a news conference and said Imran’s interest in Sindh develops every year in Ramadan. He said the premier comes in the holy month, takes donations for Shaukat Khanum Hospital and leaves. A similar process will be repeated today, he asserted.
Wahab also criticised the federal government for not observing the coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPS).
He said the incumbent regime should vaccinate the entire population if it wants to continue holding such gatherings.