LAHORE: The government Monday appointed Shaukat Tarin as an adviser to the prime minister on finance and revenue after his six-month tenure as Pakistan’s finance minister expired on October 15, Profit reported.
A notification issued by the Cabinet Division said: “The president, on the advice of the prime minister, has been pleased to appoint, with immediate effect, Shaukat Fayyaz Ahmed Tarin as Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue, with the status of [the] federal minister.”
It may be recalled that Tarin was appointed as finance minister by Prime Minister Imran Khan in the April federal cabinet reshuffle, replacing Hammad Azhar — only a few weeks after he was given the portfolio. He became the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government’s fourth finance minister in two years.
Tarin, a career banker, held the finance minister’s portfolio between 2008 and 2010 in the previous government led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
As the finance minister’s six-month term ends, as per law, Tarin will not be able to chair the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) and other cabinet committees. However, he will get the finance ministry portfolio back after being elected as a senator.
A report by Dawn has claimed that the government would announce its plan for the election to the Senate of Tarin from Punjab against his predecessor Ishaq Dar’s seat which has remained vacant in the absence of the PML-N’s leader who has not taken oath because of his self-exile in the United Kingdom.
In case Tarin is not elected on the seat due to a stay order by the court, the government has already made preparations to get a Senate seat vacated from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for his election because of some uncertainties.
The senator vacating the seat from KP would be compensated through some other political adjustment.
