Former PM’s whole Foreign Office team changed 

ISLAMABAD: With the appointment of Sartaj Aziz as Deputy Chairman Planning Commission (DCPC), the whole team of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the Foreign Office has been changed as his former Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi was removed earlier after he became a victim of the so-called Dawn-Leaks.

Former foreign secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry was consigned to Washington as ambassador. Sartaj Aziz was Adviser to former prime minister for Foreign Affairs with the status of federal minister, and he was controlling the Foreign Affairs.

With the change of the prime minister, he was relieved from the assignment. Now the former federal minister for water and power and defence, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, has complete grip on the helm of affairs in the Foreign Office. Khawaja Asif will ensure end to outside interference in the Foreign Office.

Highly placed sources told The News here on Sunday that the decision-making in the Foreign Office has for the first time effectively come under the control of the boss of the foreign affairs.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has approved on Sunday appointments of Sartaj Aziz as Deputy Chairman Planning Commission with the status of federal minister while retired Lt Gen Nasser Khan Janjua has been made National Security Adviser (NSA) on the post where he was previously serving and delivering. Sartaj Aziz, who is basically an economist, had served as finance minister in the second stint of Nawaz Sharif.

Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) KP President Engineer Amir Muqam, Prof Irfan Siddiqui, former Governor and Chief Minister KP Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan Abbasi and Sindhi leader Jam Mashuq Ali have been appointed advisers to the prime minister with immediate effect.