ISLAMABAD: A list of ministers to choose from for the coveted post of Finance Minister Ishaq Dari has been finalized by the government.
Ishaq Dar, who has been wrangled in legal troubles since the last few months is set to be removed from the post, reported a local newspaper.
A senior government official is reportedly to have said that the only option left for the government is to remove Dar and a go-ahead in this regard has been received from ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
He added government was still undecided over a full-time appointment for finance minister or choosing an advisor in this regard. But the source shared it is likely the government would choose a non-elected advisor on finance and decision would be made public within a couple of days.
Two main contenders for the post of advisor on finance are said to be ex-Finance Minister Shaukat Tareen who served during the PPP regime and Dr Ishrat Hussain ex-governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) during Musharraf’s regime has been drawn up besides other potential candidates.
Rumours circulating in media suggest Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Economic Affairs Miftah Ismail is also being considered for the post alongside Ahsan Iqbal, currently Interior Minister and Minister of Planning.
Federal Board of Revenue Chairman Tariq Pasha is said to be seeking guidance from Ishaq Dar on minor problems like issuance of press statements. Pasha has worked in tandem with the embattled finance minister Ishaq Dar and is said to be very close to him.
The source said there were chances that Pasha could also be removed from his post, since the new advisor on finance would prefer to constitute his own team.
