Islamabad: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, who has lost various divisions, organizations and committees after the formation of new cabinet by Prime Minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, may lose the revenue division following appointment of Haroon Akhtar Khan as Special Assistant to the prime minister.
Haroon Akhtar, who has again been included in the new cabinet as special assistant is likely to hold the charge as Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Revenue keeping in view of his performance during the former premiership of Nawaz Sharif.
Dar, who has been Minister for Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs, Statistics and Privatization, previously in the cabinet of Nawaz Sharif, would be now confined to ‘finance’ only. “Since Ishaq Dar has been confined to finance, it seems he has also lost interests in the government affairs. He now leaves office early and sometimes even avoids visiting office,” said sources at ministry of finance adding that the minister was once used to work till night at office.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had delegated all economic and financial powers to Ishaq Dar who reportedly headed at one time more than four dozen committees, including those on legal, constitutional and political affairs.
It may recall here that, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, soon after assuming office of prime minister had removed Dar from his important post as chairman Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of cabinet and other committees apparently consolidating powers of Prime Minister Office under his direct control.
According to sources Abbasi also wants maximum hold on important decision making bodies and committees. The reason of minimizing responsibilities of the finance minister, as sources claim, could be the expected references of National Accountability Bureau against Dar for possessing assets beyond his known sources of income in accordance with the Supreme Court’s verdict that disqualified former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
Besides, there was already lack of cordial relation between Dar and Abbasi since the former considered him more senior and close to the ruling family.
A source also claimed that the findings of Joint Investigation Team (JIT) in Panamagate case about Ishaq Dar had also made the Sharif Family unhappy. “What the prime minister is doing is based on direction on the part of the Sharif Family,” he said hinting that Nawaz Sharif was also onboard in any move of clipping wings of finance minister.
It may recall here that Prime Minister Abbasi August 10 had removed Ishaq Dar from his post as chairman of the ECC of the cabinet. The ECC has traditionally been chaired by the federal finance minister and the prime minister is not usually involved in its affairs. Its members include the ministers of 10 key federal ministries. According to sources, PM Abbasi was also moving forward to head or replace the chairmanship of other important committees including Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec), Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE), Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCoP) and Cabinet Committee on Restructuring (CCoR) and other committees on economic issues, economic coordination, energy, privatisation and restructuring etc. All these committees would now be headed by Prime Minister Abbasi as chairman, while Mr Dar would continue to be member of these committees. Dar however may head these committees in absence of Prime Minister. The divisions like Statistics and Privatization are now being run as separate ministries.
