Asad Umar’s resignation formally accepted

ISLAMABAD: On the advice of Prime Minister Imran Khan, President Arif Alvi accepted Asad Umar’s resignation as finance minister as a notification was issued on Friday regarding the appointment of Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh as Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs with the status of federal minister.

The President made the appointment of Dr Sheikh in exercise of powers conferred by clause (1) of Article 93 of the Constitution of Pakistan, a notification issued by the Cabinet Division here said.

Earlier in the day, a fresh list of federal ministers, ministers of state and advisers, and special assistants to Prime Minister was issued which showed Asad Umar as the finance minister.

Meanwhile, Brigadier (retd) Ijaz Ahmed Shah, who was appointed as the interior minister a day earlier as part of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s major cabinet reshuffle, took charge of the ministry after being sworn in. According to Geo News, Shah reached the Ministry of Interior office at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat and took charge of his post. Prime Minister Imran Khan earlier held the portfolio of interior minister himself.

Shah, an MNA from Nankana Sahib, was appointed as federal minister for parliamentary affairs last month — a post that has now gone to Azam Swati as part of the reshuffle. Shah was an aide of former president Pervez Musharraf and served as director general of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) from 2004 to 2008.

Prime Minister Khan on Thursday reshuffled his cabinet with Hafeez Sheikh appointed as finance adviser following the departure of finance minister Asad Umar.Special Assistant to Prime on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan also took charge of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, replacing Fawad Chaudhry.