In a major development, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was given the additional charge of deputy prime minister on Sunday, Dawn reported. According to the notification issued by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led Cabinet, Daw was appointed his deputy "with immediate effect and until further orders". The development marks a strategic move within the government's leadership hierarchy, Samaa TV reported.
Earlier in March, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved the reconstitution of the Council of Common Interests (CCI), replacing the finance minister with the foreign minister, Geo News reported.
Why is Ishaq Dar appointed as Pakistan Dy PM?
It is worth mentioning Dar had long been the PML-N’s finance expert but was surprisingly made the minister of foreign affairs when PM Shehbaz picked his new look cabinet in March, with his preferred finance portfolio going to Muhammad Aurangzeb.
The veteran leader also served as the finance minister for the then-Prime Minster Nawaz’s government in 2013. Later, he was reappointed as the finance minister of Pakistan from September 2022 till the end of the coalition government’s tenure in August 2023. Notably, Dar earned a reputation for supporting a strong rupee during his earlier tenure as finance minister.
Earlier in 2022, when he visited the United States, he was heckled and called “a thief’’ by an unidentified individual upon arrival at Dulles International Airport. It is worth mentioning he is currently on a visit to Saudi Arabia in order to attend the World Economic Forum Summit also with Prime Minister Sharif.
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