Shaukat Tareen tipped as SAPM on finance

The PTI-led federal government is considering giving some important responsibility to former finance minister Shuakat Tareen, who may be appointed as a federal minister or an adviser to the prime minister on finance.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Tareen however said he cannot accept any such position until he is given a clean chit by the court in a graft case filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Sources privy to the development said the government is weighing various options with regard to Tareen, including his appointment as a federal minister for six months. The government may also appoint him as an adviser on finance in aid of newly appointed Minister of Finance Hammad Azhar.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had also offered Tareen the portfolio of the finance minister earlier but he had excused himself, saying that he first wanted to be cleared of NAB allegations.

Tareen, who served as the finance minister during the term of the PPP’s last government, is facing NAB reference for alleged corruption in the Rental Power Project (RPPs) deals.

Also read: Pakistan to import sugar, cotton from India: Hammad Azhar

In 2012, the Supreme Court led by former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry had declared all RPP contracts illegal and directed NAB to proceed against nominated persons including Tareen.

In July 2018, Shaukat Tareen had approached the apex court with a request to quash proceedings of the NAB reference in the RPP case. Tareen had requested the court to declare the reference illegal, without jurisdiction and without lawful effect.

On Monday, Prime Minister Imran unceremoniously removed finance minister Dr Hafeez Shaikh due to differences over the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, particularly on recommending sweeping governor-centric powers to the central bank.

Senator Shibli Faraz, in an interview with a private television channel, announced that the government has decided to remove Dr Shaikh from the post of finance minister and replace him with the then minister for industries and production, Hammad Azhar.

Read more: PM Imran removes Finance Minister Hafeez Shaikh

According to Shibli, PM Imran decided to bring in a new finance team in view of "inflation that had taken place". Azhar is the third economic czar appointed by the premier in his two-and-a-half-year tenure.

Shibli said Azhar would strengthen the prime minister's economic team and address the issues of inflation being faced by the people of Pakistan.

He said the prime minister was not satisfied with the performance of his old economic team but expressed the hope that Azhar would achieve success in controlling inflation so that poor masses could get respite from high prices of essential items in near future.