Hafiz Abdul Karim made Communication Minister

ISLAMABAD: Hafiz Abdul Karim took charge as the federal minister for communication and Muhammad Junaid Anwaar Chaudhry as the minister of state on Monday.

This important ministry, which looks after road projects especially those falling under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), had been vacant for the past four year.

Karim and Chaudhry are new additions in the new federal cabinet, led by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, which took oath on August 4.

Previously, this portfolio was retained by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Meanwhile, the post of the state minister for communication had been lying vacant since May last year when Abdul Hakeem Baloch resigned from this position.



Baloch had maintained when he resigned that he had been serving as ‘dummy state minister’ for the past two years and it was impossible for him to continue without any authority.

Baloch belongs to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the party’s only candidate who secured a National Assembly seat from Sindh.

Over the past four years, Sharif re-started various major projects which were shelved by previous governments, an official said.

The official said that these projects included schemes such as the Lowari Tunnel, Lyari Expressway.

Few new projects such as the Faisalabad-Multan Motorway (M-4) had also been initiated by the former Prime Minister, he said.

Currently the National Highway Authority (NHA), which functions under Ministry of Communication, is looking after all road projects, including motorways and highways.

Earlier, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was briefed about all projects and their current status.

Abbasi directed the ministry concerned to complete all projects on schedule without any undue delay.