Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, who was the first information minister of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, is set to get the high-profile portfolio back, it emerged on Sunday.
Speaking on a TV programme, incumbent Information Minister Shibli Faraz said that was not aware of whether or not he would be included in the cabinet himself but expressed his belief that Fawad would be effective as the information minister.
Reportedly, Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the federal minister to take the charge of the Information Ministry.
It was earlier reported that the prime minister is expected to announce a cabinet reshuffle, potentially replacing several ministers and picking up some new faces as he is reportedly not happy with some key ministers’ performance and has already conveyed that only those would stay in the cabinet who can deliver.
Earlier last month, Faraz had said that discussions were underway as to whose portfolio should be replaced with whom and why. “Performance is the parameter,” he said, adding that potential was the other factor.
Faraz, who held the portfolio of Information Ministry before his term as a senator was completed and after he took a fresh oath being elected again earlier, said that that the premier has also decided to give a chance to some new faces.
“Three-to-four new people are expected to be given state-minister level portfolios,” Faraz said, adding that lawmakers in the assembly are likely to be given a chance. He, however, refrained himself from revealing the names.
During the last cabinet reshuffle in March 2021, the PTI government removed Hafeez Shaikh as finance minister. Shaikh was made the finance minister back in December 2020. Hammad Azhar was given an additional portfolio of the finance ministry.
Earlier it emerged that former information minister Faraz would be given the portfolio of the Petroleum Ministry, while the Information Ministry would be separated into two divisions.
