In the spate of FIA investigation report about top PTI leaders involved in sugar and wheat crisis, Prime Minister Imran Khan directed major changes to his cabinet.
Khusro Bakhtiar resigned from his previously held Ministry for National Food Security and Research and had now been appointed as minister for economic affairs, replacing Hammad Azhar who had been assigned the portfolio of industries, Azam Swati had been made the minister of narcotics control. Babar Awan had been made the advisor for parliamentary affairs, replacing Swati. Omar Hameed as Secretary Ministry of National Food Security. The PM’s adviser on commerce, textile, industry and production, and investment, Abdul Razak Dawood, had also been removed from his position and it is unclear if he had been given another post.
Advisor to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Establishment, Shehzad Arbab, had been asked to step down from his position. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui’s resignation as federal minister had been accepted, while MQMP’s Amin-ul-Haq had been appointed as Federal Minister for Telecommunication.
Chairman Task Force on Agriculture Jahangir Khan Tareen has been removed in the light of FIA’s findings and further action may be taken after the Inquiry Committee submits a report.
Tareen has expressed extreme dissatisfaction with the findings and action taken against him. He tweeted: “get your facts right”. However, former Punjab government spokesperson and PTI leader Dr Shahbaz Gill took to Twitter and said that Tareen had been removed as the chairperson of the board.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) report claimed that top PTI members were involved among those who gained from the recent sugar crisis in the country. An investigation into the crisis had been ordered by Prime Minister Imran Khan in February. The FIA has nominated Jahangir Tareen and a brother of Minister for National Food Security Khusro Bakhtiar. |Tareen is said to have received the most benefits from the sugar crisis followed by Bakhtiar’s brother.
