Prime Minister Imran Khan may induct new faces into the Federal Cabinet and change portfolios of some ministers as cabinet reshuffle is on the cards, reported The News on Tuesday. The report made some revelations about the changes being introduced in the federal cabinet.
The publication claimed that the prime minister wants to introduce some new faces to his team as he is not happy with the performance of some ministers and has completed consultations for the changes.
On Monday, PM Imran removed Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh as finance minister and tasked Hammad Azhar to lead the government efforts to curb inflation.
The report said that changes in the information, power, aviation, economic affairs and Kashmir committee have been mulled over.
According to the sources, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar will be removed from his present position, while the ministries of petroleum and aviation will be given to Shibli Faraz.
It was discussed that Fawad Chaudhry will be brought back to the information ministry. Chaudhry, however, also wants to retain charge of the ministry of science and technology.
It was also decided that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting could be split into two, giving information to a state minister and broadcasting to a special assistant to the PM, sources told the paper.
Farrukh Habib is likely to be made minister of state, while the Kashmir Committee might be given again to Syed Fakhar Imam, taking it back from Shehryar Afridi.
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Portfolios of energy and petroleum are likely to be taken back from Omar Ayub. However, the expected changes have not yet been finalised.
According to sources, the return of Faraz, Faisal Vawda and Usman Dar to the cabinet was also discussed in the meeting chaired by the prime minister, as it also deliberated on the shuffle of advisers. Senator Faisal Javed Khan also might be given an important ministry.
Cabinet Reshuffle: Why Fawad Ch?
According to reliable sources, Prime Minister Imran Khan has advised his media team, spokespersons and key ministers to shape a media debate based on facts.
Sources confirmed that the prime minister wants a radical change in his government’s media policy. One source calls this a “new media policy”. He wants his team to come up with an information-based discourse to counter the opposition’s repeated allegations on the same points.
The Prime Minister, acceding to the sources, is of the view that opposition and several segments of media keep on reiterating half facts and conceited stories to the public which are not true. Since media hardly does any homework of its own, it ends up relying on ‘assertions’ made by the opposition politicians.
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Government is then slammed for inflation, a sudden increase in prices of tomatoes, stagnant economy, low economic growth, job losses and failed Kashmir policy without any real understanding of issues.
The source claims that Fawad Ch is said to be the best available choice the premier can make.