Portfolio of revenue taken back from Dr Hafeez Shaikh

ISLAMABAD: Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh has been sworn in into the federal cabinet as federal minister for finance but portfolio of revenue has been taken away from him.

President Arif Alvi took Dr Shaikh’s oath as federal minister for finance here on Friday. However, in the official notification, the portfolio of revenue did not include indicating that this portfolio had been taken away from him.

According to the official notification issued by Cabinet Division, in exercise of power conferred by clause (1) of Article 92, read with Article 91 (9) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the president, on the advice of the prime minister, has been pleased to appoint Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh as federal minister.

He will hold the portfolio of finance as allocated by the prime minister in terms of rule 3 (4) of the Rules of Business 1973. Consequent upon the above appointment, Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh shall crease to hold the office of adviser to PM on finance and revenue.

The sources said that in the aftermath of Islamabad High Court (IHC) verdict, the government administered new oath for appointing him as minister for finance. Now it is likely that he might be granted ticket of Upper House of Parliament for electing him as senator in upcoming elections going to be held in March, 2021.