Asad Umar set to return to federal cabinet

ISLAMABAD: Former finance minister Asad Umar is set to return to the federal cabinet as Minister for Planning and Special Initiatives while Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar will assume the charge of Ministry of Petroleum.

According to Special Assistant to PM on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, the federal cabinet is poised for a shake-up and expansion soon. She explained that a decision had been already made to allot the portfolio of the Ministry of Planning and Special Initiatives to Asad Umar. Moreover, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar, who had the Ministry of Planning and Development portfolio, will now become Minister for Petroleum. She added that a notification will soon be issued on this count. Her tweet come amid reports of major shake-up in the federal cabinet and some members might be issued warning to improve.

With speculations rife on the fate of negotiations between the government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Asad Umar had stepped down as Minister for Finance early this year, saying it was time to take some difficult decisions.