Tarin finally made adviser

ISLAMABAD: After the government's failure to get Shaukat Tarin elected as a member of the Parliament within the stipulated six-month time-frame, the government has appointed him as Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenues with the status of Federal Minister. The portfolio of finance minister had fallen vacant and Prime Minister Imran Khan is now holding this key position.

According to the much-awaited notification, issued on October 17 and released on Monday, says Shaukat Fayaz Ahmed Tarin has been appointed as Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenues, with the status of Federal Minister on the advice of the prime minister. The notification says in pursuance of powers conferred by Clause (1) of Article 93 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the president, on the advice of the prime minister, has been pleased to appoint, with immediate effect, Shaukat Fayaz Ahmed Tarin as Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenues, with the status of Federal Minister.

Earlier, a couple of months ago, the government had to face a severe political blow when PTI’s candidate from the federal capital Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh faced defeat against PPP candidate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani. Later, the prime minister replaced former Adviser to PM on Finance and Revenues Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh unceremoniously and then appointed Shaukat Tarin as Federal Minister for Finance with effect from April 17, 2021.

Under the Constitutional obligations, it was mandatory to elect Tarin as a member of the Parliament within six months period. This deadline had expired on October 16, 2021 and the government could not decide to elect him. The government was left with no other option but to appoint him as an Adviser to PM on Finance and Revenues as a stop-gap arrangement until he is elected as Senator.

In his last press briefing held in Washington, D.C, when he was asked about his fate as Minister for Finance after the expiry of the deadline, he had told the journalists that he would be granted a Senate ticket from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). It was really an awkward situation for Tarin as journalists had repeatedly raised such questions in the last one and half month period. On one of the occasions, he had told this scribe that he would meet the premier soon and would request him to end this lingering issue by awarding him a ticket and added in the same breath that he "possessed full confidence in PM that he would not be ditched."

The government had already announced that Tarin would be elected as senator but so far none of the senators has tendered resignation from the KP to vacate his seat for him. This notification clearly indicates that it is not yet known how much time Shaukat Tarin will have to perform as Adviser to PM on Finance and Revenues with powers clipped and far less than full-fledged Minister for Finance.With the appointment of Adviser to PM on Finance and Revenues, Shaukat Tarin will not be able to chair any cabinet committee meeting such as the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet, Executive Committee of National Economic Council, Cabinet Committee on Privatization and others.