ISLAMABAD – The ouster of Asad Umar as finance minister has put the prime minister Imran Khan in a tight spot as the most important cabinet slot is to be filled at a time when the country is in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout package.
Soon after Asad Umar announced that he would not be a part of cabinet anymore, Minister for Power Omar Ayub Khan called on the prime minister and reports are rife that he might be roped in as the finance minister; Omr Ayub Khan is the grandson of Pakistan’s former president Ayub Khan.
“I am going to the PM Office for a meeting which had been pre-scheduled. We have given approval for the load management plan during Ramazan,” Omar Ayub told reporters before he met the prime minister.
Besides Omar, former finance minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, former State Bank of Pakistan governor Ishrat Hussain and economist Hafeez Pasha are also among other prominent names being considered for the position of adviser on finance.
Economist Shaukat Tarin, who served as the finance minister during the tenure of Pakistan Peoples Party is also being considered to replace Umar.
Moreover, former governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, Shamshad Akhter also called on Prime Minister Imran Khan, well-placed sources say.
When former finance minister Salman Shah was asked about him being tipped to replace Umar, he termed the reports mere ‘speculation’ adding that it would be premature to comment at this point.
Earlier, Asad Umar, who was widely hailed as the ‘most competent’ minister of Imran Khan’s cabinet, took to Twitter and announced that the PM desired him to take the portfolio of energy instead of finance.
https://twitter.com/Asad_Umar/status/1118803642314842112
‘However, I have obtained his consent to not take any cabinet position,’ Umar tweeted on Thursday.
Addressing a press conference shortly after the tweet, Asad Umar expressed firm commitment to continue working for materializing the dream of prosperous ‘Naya Pakistan’ under the leadership of Imran Khan.
He said Prime Minister Imran Khan intended to make some reshuffle in the federal cabinet and the announcement for further changes was expected shortly.
He said amid reshuffle news, he met with the prime minister last evening and this morning, convinced him on his decision to step down from the cabinet, instead of taking any other portfolio.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/asad-umar-steps-down-as-finance-minister-in-first-cabinet-reshuffle/
He said stepping down from the membership of the cabinet did not mean leaving Imran Khan’s vision for a developed and prosperous Pakistan, saying he was always available and would remain so in future.
“I shall always remain available for implementing the agenda of change introduced by Imran Khan, which has been based on economically stable and socially strong Pakistan and would continue my struggle for this as I believe in that the Imran Khan was the only person who could bring change in this country,” he added.
“New Pakistan would become reality and Imran Khan would lead,” he said.
