Fawad to get additional portfolio of information minister, again

PM Imran directed sci-tech minister to take charge of the high-profile ministry, sources say

Another major reshuffle in the federal cabinet is on the cards as Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, who was the first information minister of the PTI government, is set to get the high-profile portfolio back, it emerged on Sunday.

Sources privy to the development told Express News that Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the federal minister to take the charge of the information ministry.

They further revealed that a notification in this regard would be issued shortly.

It was earlier reported that PM Imran is expected to announce a cabinet reshuffle, potentially replacing several ministers and picking up some new faces as he is reportedly not happy with some key ministers’ performance and has already conveyed that only those would stay in the cabinet who can deliver.

“Prime Minister will announce the changes made in the federal cabinet by next Monday,” Information Minister Senator Shibli Faraz told The Express Tribune last month. The senator said that discussions were still underway as to whose portfolio should be replaced with whom and why. “Performance is the parameter,” he said, adding that potential was the other factor.

Read: ‘Cabinet reshuffle’ on the cards

Faraz, who held the portfolio of information ministry before his term as a senator was completed and after he took a fresh oath being elected again earlier, said that the premier has also decided to give a chance to some new faces.

“Three-to-four new people are expected to be given state-minister level portfolios,” Faraz said, adding that lawmakers in the assembly are likely to be given a chance. He however refrained himself from revealing the names.

Party sources had revealed that performance and delivery were the only things that the premier was interested in as he felt exhausted by hearing excuse after excuse and projects suffering inordinate delays in completion for one reason or another for a long time.

“It’s time to deliver and the prime minister has this realisation,” a key federal minister had revealed while requesting anonymity. “Frustration is growing within the party circles and the premier strongly believes that the ministers must start delivering without coming up with excuses,” the minister had said.

On August 20, 2018, Fawad was appointed as Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting in the federal cabinet. However, in April 2019, he was removed from the ministry.

Before coming to power, PM Imran was in favour of keeping a small cabinet. However, after coming to power, he ended up with a big one and now the cabinet comprises roughly 50 members, which include federal and state ministers, special assistants, and advisers.