Federal Minister for Water and Power Development Khawaja Asif. PHOTO: REUTERS.
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Water and Power Development Khawaja Asif was handed the defence ministry on Wednesday, Express News reported.
Asif will remain the water and power minister.
Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed was also given the additional charge of the law ministry.
The appointments came on the day new Chief of the Army Staff and new Chairman of Joint Chief of Staff Committee were appointed.
Soon after taking charge, Asif called a special meeting to discuss the missing persons case. He has asked all the concerned officials to attend the meeting.
The Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz leader took oath as a member of the federal government on June 7.
Asif had said that he aimed to shift the country’s energy mix in three years to tackle the crippling power shortages blamed for devastating the economy.
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i think he is getting this because ch abid ali will take over the power ministry
Good choice!!! Khawaja Muhammad Asif is a lawyer by qualification, former banker by profession and a seasoned politician by passion. . He has successfully pursued & exposed the largest fraud in the history of Pakistan (i.e., Rental Powers - the back door Policy introduced by dictator Musharraf in July 2006 and massively misused by Raja Rental in 2008-10). http://tribune.com.pk/story/357358/verdict-out-dissolve-all-rental-power-projects-says-sc/ While his co-plaintiff Faisal Saleh Hayat accepted the deal to become Minister in PPP Government & slowed down in his plead before the Supreme Court, Khawaja Asif has been instrumental in exposing this fraud. He was offered huge bribe by the "rental mafia" but he refused to bow down in the best interest of Pakistan. As a consequence Billions of Rupees of looted wealth was recovered. http://www.supremecourt.gov.pk/web/userfiles/File/HRC7734-G1003-GOF2009[AllegedCorruptionInRentalPowerPlants].pdf . Similarly, Khawaja Asif exposed squandering millions of US dollars in real estate of Qatar by a charity hospital in Pakistan. http://tribune.com.pk/story/415920/imran-khan-lost-donation-money-in-real-estate-gambling-khwaja-asif/ The Chief of Charity promised in public to file defamation case in a High Court. But he never did it in any High Court rather went to a lower court, whereas the matter was out of its jurisdiction. We hope Khawaja Asif will continue to serve Pakistan with the same enthusiasm, vigor and sincerety.
@ Bashir ...Pakistan is the only country in the world which has blocked the youtube
inept, incompetent to the extreme. The only reason for his appointment is so that the PM himself doesn't have to appear before the SC in the missing persons' case.
@aamer: answer is simple because PMLN is family limited party, they don't have anymore capable people, and Sharif family only trust few outside their own.
@Pendu-Wadera: this link is blocked by the PTA. Khawaja will look after both very important ministeries.. JACAL OF ALL TRADES
Kh. Asif is considered as Anti-Army Guy, he never miss a chance to bash them, probably NS is in mood to keep Army under his full Control...
Just watch one of his blasting speech against Army in Assembley:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYtkS78XLBw
@aamer: lot of cabalble person in PMNL why choosen who already have ministry
Name one! PMLN has proven to be the most incompetent, and corrupt government. Total lawlessness, lack of governance, massive corruption, and inflation, fiddling with national institutions. They are mere baaton kay Sher. And the worst is Nawaz Sharif himself.
The portfolio of Defence Minister is most important. It should not be handed over to a minister who is already burderned with the uphill task of resolving country's energy crisis. NS government should take advantage of experience and capabilities of gen kiyani. He is the most suited person to be made the Defense Minister of the country.
So after all the rumours were not baseless, not at all. Khwaja Asif gets fired from a ministry which he considered a means of public service and a place from where he could prove his capabilities. Now, he can enjoy the sandwiches and defence contracts.
I thought the challenges for Khawaja Asif were already immense considering that the energy crisis. They have now given him another important post. Will he distribute the effort fairly for both posts?. I doubt it.
very much expected in the wake of supreme court about to call defence minister for missing persons case