Shahzad Arbab is coming back, now as special assistant

ISLAMABAD: Muhammad Shahzad Arbab, who in the backdrop of FIA inquiry report on sugar, was recently removed from the post of adviser to the Prime Minister, is being re-inducted in the federal cabinet- now as special assistant to the PM.

Sources claim that Shahzad Arbab was removed not because of his close association with Jehangir Tareenor owing to anything related with the sugar scam but for the reason that the prime minister wanted a free slot of Adviser to adjust Babar Awan.

Arbab, it is said, was removed to adjust Babar Awan as PM’s adviser on Parliamentary Affairs. Arbab is now being brought back as special assistant to the PM. Arbab will get the status of a federal minister.

Meanwhile, Khurshid Alam- a businessman, social activist and member of Namal as well as Shoukat Khanam’s board- is also being appointed as focal person to prime minister on corona fund.

It is relevant to mention here that after the removal of Shahzad Arbab as PM’s adviser on Establishment during the recent cabinet reshuffle, a close aide of Prime Minister Imran Khan had confided to The News that Shahzad was removed because of his close association with Jehangir Tareen.

Interestingly, Shahzad was the only cabinet member who was removed whereas in other cases only the porfolios of the ministers were changed. It led the opposition to say that the action on part of the prime minister on sugar inquiry report was just an eyewash. Those named, directly or indirectly, in the FIA inquiry report on sugar included Razak Dawood, Khusro Bakhtyar and Jehangir Tareen. Dawood was relieved from his responsibility as chairman sugar advisory board but he was allowed to continue as adviser to PM on Commerce.

Khurso Bukhtyar, who was food minister, was shifted to head the Ministry of Economic Affairs. About Jehangir Tareen, who did not hold any public office, the PM’s spokesman Shahbaz Gill announced on social media that Tareen has been removed from being chairman of task force on agriculture.

Tareen, however, immediately reacted with a statement that he was never chairman of any task force. He challenged Shahbaz Gill to produce the notification if there is any.