Minister for Finance: Lobbying continues for Shaukat Tarin

ISLAMABAD: Hectic lobbying is continuing for the appointment of Shaukat Tarin as the upcoming federal minister for finance after his acquittal from cases, it was learnt. Shaukat Tarin held hours long meetings with two key members of the incumbent economic team here in Islamabad on Monday and held extensive meetings with the economic team on confronting challenges.

“Yes, Tarin is likely to assume the charge of Minister for Finance after his acquittal from cases,” top official sources confirmed to The News here on Monday night. First, one top official held a meeting with Shaukat Tarin that continued for hours, then the second key member of the economic team paid a visit to them and participated in crucial talks for an hour. The sources privy to this development told this scribe in background discussions that the changes in the Ministry of Finance are on the cards.

When asked whether this process of bring a change got slowed down after Shaukat Tarin’s critical statements about the national economy, they replied that it was his personal views with regard to the economy and PM Imran Khan liked to hear independent views openly.

To another question why the Ministry of Finance did not appoint Shaukat Tarin as the convener of the high profile Economic Advisory Council (EAC), they replied that things would be settled soon.

The government had already replaced two finance ministers, including Asad Umar and Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and the last episode was done in a highly unceremonious manner. The government had given additional charge of the Finance Ministry to Hammad Azhar, who is looking after the Ministry of Industries at the moment.

Now the government inserted the name of Shaukat Tarin in the high profile EAC but he was not made the convener of this forum despite the fact that he had publicly announced to become the EAC convener. Interesting developments are taking place but the preparation of the next budget can only get momentum when there will be certainty at the highest level.