The government on Monday issued a notification appointing former finance minister Shaukat Tarin as advisor to the prime minister on finance and revenue.
The notification issued by the Cabinet Division said: “The President, on the advice of the Prime Minister, is pleased to appoint Shaukat Fayaz Ahmad Tarin as Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue, with immediate effect, with the status of Federal . Minister.”
Tarin was appointed as Finance Minister on 17 April and his constitutional term ended on 16 October. He was required to be elected to Parliament in order to remain in office for more than six months after his appointment.
government first To decide To ensure continuity and stability in the markets, Tarin will be elected as a senator from either Punjab or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Highly placed sources told dawn The government will announce its plan to elect Tarin from Punjab against Senator Ishaq Dar’s seat, which has remained virtually vacant in the absence of the former PML-N finance minister. Dar has not taken the oath because of self-exile in the UK.
Sources had said that the first priority was to get him elected from Dar’s seat, but due to some uncertainties, there was also a plan-B to vacate the Senate seat from KP for his election. The senator who vacates the seat from KP will be compensated through any other political adjustment.
He said there could be uncertainty in Tarin’s election to Dar’s seat as it can be challenged in courts and can be stopped.
However, sources say that the election process may take some time, it will not matter as Tarin will be made advisor for five days and then sworn in as senator and finance minister.
Tareen, who also held the finance ministry in the PPP government, was the fourth finance minister appointed by Prime Minister Imran Khan after Asad Umar, Hafeez Sheikh and Hammad Azhar were given the portfolio.
Prime Minister at that time said The purpose of Tarin’s appointment was to control inflation and increase economic growth.
As per the decision of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Tarin as an advisor to the PM will not be able to preside over the meetings of the cabinet committees.
Last year, IHC Governance That the unelected advisors and special assistants could not head the committees of the government.
As Minister of Finance, Tarin was chairman of the Economic Coordination Committee, the Cabinet Committee on Privatization, the Cabinet Committee on State-owned Enterprises, and the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council.