Hike in commodities’ prices: PM Khan mulls over changes in his team?

ISLAMABAD: In the wake of the recent price hike, Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to remove and reshuffle some top heads and key members of his team, including from the federal cabinet, so that governance in the country is improved.

Credible sources said the premier himself has described his sleepless nights because of the increased prices of food items in the country in recent days. They said some key changes in the federal cabinet are also possible, as removal and reshuffle in portfolios was expected.

Reports said some powerful quarters within the government were annoyed over the economic performance, especially managing prices of food items that have gone beyond limits. The lingering wheat and sugar crisis as well as the increased prices of commodities have badly affected the government, while the concerned ministries seemed taking too much time for crucial decisions.

The sources said the government was heading towards the conclusion that it was left with no other option but to bring in new faces on the economic front.

Top official sources said the federal capital has been gripped with rumours for the last couple of days regarding key changes in the federal cabinet. One of the federal ministers commented that he did not hear anything about it but could confirm one thing that there has been an increased pressure on the government mainly because of the recent price hike of food items for the last few days. Former finance adviser Shaukat Tarin and incumbent Special Assistant to PM on Revenues Dr Waqar Masood are being tipped to be given important portfolios.

However, sources close to Tarin said no one had yet contacted him but he was asked to join the incumbent regime when the PTI-led government took reins of power. But Shaukat Tarin had refused to join the government because of the four cases pending against him.

The official sources said indecisiveness on account of wheat, sugar and other commodities’ price control was causing unwanted inflation as the top government functionaries had deliberately delayed decisions to save their skins from NAB, causing embarrassment to the government.

Some more changes related to the Ministry of Interior, Energy and others are also likely to happen in the next few days.

When contacted, one of the federal ministers told this scribe on condition of anonymity that after every month some reporters call him and ask him about the key changes in the federal cabinet. He conceded that there was increased demand for improving governance, so some ministers/ advisers might feel pressure for improvement but he had not listened anything especially related to the changes in the federal cabinet.