ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Ishaq Dar, who previously served as finance minister when his party led previous federal governments, is considering a move to the Foreign Ministry.
Sources claim that Dar will take over as Minister of Foreign Affairs in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government. Tariq Fatemi will be designated as special assistant on foreign issues, while Jalil Abbas Jilani, the acting foreign minister, will advise the prime minister on foreign matters.
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The sources claim that Dar attended a meeting on Thursday between PM Shehbaz and the former caretaker foreign secretary and minister. While the caretaker setup was running the government in the Center, Jilani gave the premier a thorough briefing during the meeting on developments in a number of foreign affairs.
Dar will hold the position of foreign minister for the first time. One of the more seasoned politicians in the PML-N, he has only held the position of finance minister while his party was in power. After living in self-imposed exile for five years, he returned to Pakistan in September 2022 and resumed his coveted post. According to sources, Dar’s appointment as the nation’s finance minister was approved by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) earlier this week.
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The event occurred against the backdrop of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto’s rant against Dar during the party’s election campaign leading up to the polls on February 8; Bhutto had repeatedly criticized Dar for mishandling the economy while leading the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government led by the PML-N.