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Major reshuffle: Fawad Chaudhry's ministry changed, Hafeez Sheikh appointed adviser on finance

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The Prime Minister's Office announced a major reshuffle of the federal cabinet today, with key portfolios of the finance, interior and information ministries seeing new faces.

This development comes only hours after Asad Umar stepped down as the finance minister.

Key updates
  • Cabinet reshuffled after criticism mounts on economic, security policies
  • Asad Umar removed from the finance ministry
  • Fawad Chaudhry now Minister for Science and Technology
  • Ijaz Ahmed Shah appointed federal interior minister; Afridi removed as interior state minister
  • The portfolio of information minister has been taken away from Fawad Chaudhry, who has been named as the federal minister for science and technology.


Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh has been named the adviser on finance.

Minister of state for interior Shehryar Afridi has now been named the Minister for States and Frontier Regions (Safron).

The PTI government has also announced a federal interior minister for the first time, with the portfolio — earlier held by the PM himself — going to retired Brig Ijaz Ahmed Shah, who was appointed the federal minister for parliamentary affairs just last month.

Ghulam Sarwar Khan, who previously was the petroleum minister, has now been named the federal minister for aviation. Sarwar, according to informed sources, had threatened to quit the party if removed from the cabinet. He was, therefore, given the Aviation Division portfolio which was until then held by Federal Minister for Privatisation Muhammad Mian Soomro.

Azam Swati, who had resigned as the federal minister for science and technology last year, has been appointed as the federal minister for parliamentary affairs.

His resignation had come after he was accused of using his influence in the transfer of a former capital police chief in the wake of his family's altercation with a family of slum dwellers.

The prime minister, according to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division, has also appointed a trio of Special Assistants to the Prime Minister (SAPM).

The notification states that Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has been made the SAPM on Information and Broadcasting Division, while Dr Zafarullah Mirza has been assigned the portfolio of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination.

Meanwhile, Nadeem Babar will serve as the SAPM on Petroleum Division.

The reshuffle comes as criticism mounts against the PTI government over its economic policies as well as in the aftermath of major terrorist attacks in Balochistan.


Who is Abdul Hafeez Shaikh?

Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh is an internationally renowned economist with more than 30 years of experience in economic policymaking, management and implementation.

Dr Shaikh has undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in economics from Boston University. He had worked at Harvard University and World Bank, where he was country head for Saudi Arabia and as a Senior Official advised 21 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America.

He served as the finance minister from 2010 to 2013 during the PPP government's rule.

During his tenure as federal minister, Dr Shaikh completed 34 sale transactions worth Rs300 billion in banking, telecom, electricity and manufacturing.

In 2000-2002, he was minister of finance, planning and development of Sindh.

He was then appointed as the minister for privatisation and investment in the Pervez Musharraf administration.


Who is Firdous Ashiq Awan?

Firdous Ashiq Awan was a PPP stalwart before she joined the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in May 2017.

Awan, along with her husband, was a staunch supporter of the PPP until party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari consolidated his control over the party.

She began her political career in 1990 with a focus on improving the healthcare system, and founded the Society for Health and Development and Exchange.

In 2002, she was elected to NA-286 on a reserved seat for women. In 2008, she successfully contested the NA-111 poll and was appointed the federal minister for population welfare. She later served as the information minister in the PPP government.

In 2013, she again contested the NA-111 poll but this time was unsuccessful. In 2015, she resigned as the PPP Punjab vice president before joining the PTI two years later.


Who is Nadeem Babar?

Babar, a former chief executive of Orient Power and Saba Power Company, had been operating in the power sector since the induction of private power producers under the 1994 power policy.

In September 2018, upon the prime minister's desire, he was appointed the head of an eight-member task force on energy sector reforms.


Who is Dr Zafarullah Mirza?

Dr Zafarullah Mirza is a former director of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Division of Health System Development.

He joined the WHO in 2004 and served in different capacities during his more than a decade-long association with the UN special agency.

Dr Mirza holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from Rawalpindi Medical College, as well as a Master’s of Science degree in Public Health in Developing Countries from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1476954/m...ed-hafeez-sheikh-appointed-adviser-on-finance
 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dr Hafeez Shaikh, a People’s Party x Finance Minister, Senator, an x Mush Minister, a Washington favourite, and a man generally found outside Pakistan is PTI’s idea of revolutionary economist. This is a show of shame.</p>— Syed Talat Hussain (@TalatHussain12) <a href="https://twitter.com/TalatHussain12/status/1118938904785297408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Looks like we have moved on from Musharraf's cabinet to Zardari's.

Hafeez Shaikh and Firdous Awan will bring competencies to their new roles thanks to Insaaf washing powder and Imran's magic wand which unfortunately did not work on economic genius Asad Umar and motormouth Fawad Chaudhry.

Imran Khan right now:

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Naya Pakistan:

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dr Hafeez Shaikh, a People’s Party x Finance Minister, Senator, an x Mush Minister, a Washington favourite, and a man generally found outside Pakistan is PTI’s idea of revolutionary economist. This is a show of shame.</p>— Syed Talat Hussain (@TalatHussain12) <a href="https://twitter.com/TalatHussain12/status/1118938904785297408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

First these anchors had a field day against AU now when he is gone they will be after Hafeez Shaikh thats their job. AU was criticized for being anti privatization and now Hafeez will be criticized for being pro privatization when he starts the privatization process he always wanted to implement.
 
All extremely good moves by PTI...

Also so glad i’ve Out that traitor in the ignore list &#55357;&#56833;
 
And we were told that Imran Khan is among top 3 leaders in the world. Delusion has no limits.
 
Abdul Hafeez Sheikh :


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hafeez Sheikh - the forever blue eyed boy of the Boys; failed to implement the IMF package back in 2011, failed to bring economic reforms, failed in broadening tax net - one of the basic economic issues; brought in again to win over these all. Reminder. Check!</p>— Gharidah Farooqi (@GFarooqi) <a href="https://twitter.com/GFarooqi/status/1118964259898175489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Conflict of Interest does not matter in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NayaPakistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NayaPakistan</a>: Newly appointed Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh is General Partner of an Indian firm "New Silk Route" which focuses on India, the sub-continent and other rapidly growing economies of Asia. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NSR?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NSR</a> <a href="https://t.co/c5e57paW0M">pic.twitter.com/c5e57paW0M</a></p>— Zahid Gishkori (@ZahidGishkori) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZahidGishkori/status/1119128824942174208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Is this a joke or nightmare? Zardari's finance minister comes to fix economy of Naya Pakistan? <a href="https://t.co/b7Nn8fVgmG">https://t.co/b7Nn8fVgmG</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/GVS_News?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GVS_News</a></p>— Moeed Pirzada (@MoeedNj) <a href="https://twitter.com/MoeedNj/status/1119301748844367872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh is new advisor on finance. (worked under Musharraf & PTI’s fav ‘Daku’ Zardari)<br><br>New federal interior minister is Ijaz Ahmed Shah. (another close associate of Gen Musharraf)</p>— Raza Ahmad Rumi (@Razarumi) <a href="https://twitter.com/Razarumi/status/1118925393841598471?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
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A little peek into the background of our new Finance Advisor Hafeez Shaikh from the perspective of our Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari.

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I wonder if Shireen Mazari still thinks he is an American agent.

PTI government is becoming a meme. A complete joke. You can’t even laugh at this circus anymore, you have to feel sorry for them.
 
I wonder if Shireen Mazari still thinks he is an American agent.

PTI government is becoming a meme. A complete joke. You can’t even laugh at this circus anymore, you have to feel sorry for them.
give them a chance, no harm in seeing what they can do under a true leader, look at the way a leader can get people to play better in sports and bring a team together when others cannot. You cannot right them off simply because they have been tried before by other parties, there is no sense in that. If these are the best choices we have available in pakistan then lets give them a chance, give them a try.
 
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Heard Chaudhry Nisar might be taking over from Usman Buzdar as CM of Punjab. Would that be wise considering how close Nisar is with Shahbaz?
 
Former finance minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh revealed that his name was not taken up as caretaker prime minister (PM) because President Zardari at the time might have feared an extended tenure of the caretaker setup, adding that Zardari had never been comfortable with him.

“President Zardari never remained comfortable with me for a variety of reasons as I never tried to become a part of the inner circle of the presidency during my stay as the finance minister for three years as I preferred professionalism over getting closer to the ruling arithmetic,” said Shaikh.

“I always resisted key appointments contrary to the desires of the powerful man such as State Bank of Pakistan governor, FBR chairman, members of different boards and even asked curtailing of powers of some federal ministers in the interest of the country,” the former federal minister said in an exclusive interview with a local English newspaper.

In a detailed two-hour-long discussion on a variety of issues ranging from politics to economy, Shaikh said he did not know whether COAS General Ashfaque Parvez Kayani floated his name for the slot of caretaker PM or not but there were many other people who supported him for the post.

When asked whether he felt being ditched by the president and PPP on the issue of caretaker PM, the former minister, known for his cautious replies, said he would not use the expression of being ditched but added that friction existed between him and the president on different issues and cited an example that the president always desired to discuss the agenda of Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) with him prior to holding the meeting but he never accepted his viewpoint because it was against the norms of transparency and fair play.

He said he always tried to establish relations with the president on the basis of mutual respect and the president also reciprocated in the same manner.“Keeping in view my professional requirement to express my views in an open and candid manner, I always presented divergent views in a polite manner and always tried to strike a balance between professionalism and not being dubbed as disloyal,” he added.

“The ECC was among those forums which were functioning, so barring a few instances I refused to take any pressure and took decisions on merit,” he said and added that there was a perception among different ministers of the government that the ECC took extra time in taking decisions but he ensured decisions on merit in most of the cases.

He claimed that contrary to public perception, the PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif was not strongly opposing his name. “Technically, the president floated my name but did not put his 100 percent backing mainly because of having an impression that I am not fully following his line,” he added.

His differences became pronounced in the last few months of his tenure as he opposed doling out massive resources for petroleum and electricity sectors in an unaccountable manner. Once, the issue of transferring the finance secretary also became the source of friction because he was not in favour of abrupt changes in the finance division.

He also felt lonely at different stages when implementation on IMF programme came on the surface. When asked why he did not resign keeping in view the difficult situation for him, he said he thought of it on three occasions but figured that it would not resolve the problems but might aggravate the situation. He was also not comfortable with the idea to leave someone halfway, so he made efforts to play his role in a positive manner.

To another query about resigning from the membership of Senate that created an impression that the PPP wanted to get rid of him, he said it was unfair to blame others as he took the decision because it would have been unfair to continue keeping the seat of the Upper House on the strength of the ruling party and then becoming a candidate for the caretaker premiership.

He said he never demanded anything for himself or for relatives during his stay in the government and the record could prove his claims. When a choice was given to resign from the Senate for becoming a nominee of caretaker premiership, he resigned without thinking for a moment. When asked about his future plans, he said he was considering different options and would strive for getting advisory positions based in Dubai and would find time to ensure reading and writing.

He also has plans to write a book about his experiences in three different positions of power from 2000 to 2003 as finance minister in Sindh, then privatisation minister in the Musharraf regime till 2006 and left his government when he was enjoying sole power in the country. “I expressed my views in front of General Musharraf that there was no elegant way for a general to become ruler of this country,” he said. Shaikh said Pakistan experienced wonderful administration during the first three years of Musharraf’s rule but then inbuilt discrepancies came to the surface.

He said he had left Musharraf’s cabinet when there was no chance of of the dictator loosening his grip on power because of a variety of reasons, including his disappointment over Musharraf’s efforts for longevity of personal rule.

Responding to a query about former PM Shaukat Aziz, he recalled that once Musharraf sought his opinion about Shaukat Aziz and he told him that he praised him because he belonged to a middle class family and earned good reputation while working in distinguished banking institutions of the world.

He said that he might have possessed divergent views on professional issues with Shaukat Aziz but he never wanted to belittle anyone when someone asked about any individual as “I also thought at that moment that my views about him would actually expose my own character and my own upbringing.”

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/20...d-comfortable-with-me-dr-abdul-hafeez-sheikh/
 
He doesnt have any excuses now, he'll likely have the full control he was after under Zardari and a sense of direction missing under Musharraf.
 
Most of woke Pakistani twitter is so naive: furiously typing tweets or sharing screenshots of how what some politician said something completely different in the past.
There are a few like them in the US and UK trying to highlight the hypocrisy of trump people or Brexit people.
Really leads to no changes of heart, because all politics is tribal
 
So our latest economic champion has claimed that tomatoes are available at rupees 17 per kg.
[MENTION=133397]WebGuru[/MENTION]

Can you please tell us where we can buy tomatoes for Rs. 17 per kg?

:moyo2
 
[MENTION=138254]Syed1[/MENTION]

Can you please tell us where we can get tomatoes for Rs. 17/kg in Karachi?
 
So our latest economic champion has claimed that tomatoes are available at rupees 17 per kg.

[MENTION=133397]WebGuru[/MENTION]

Can you please tell us where we can buy tomatoes for Rs. 17 per kg?

:moyo2

Ask Pervez Khattak, he will get you tomatoes 15 Rupees/kg. If you ask nicely, your wish might be granted.
 
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