Dar elevated to deputy PM
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was elevated to the position of deputy prime minister on Sunday, a surprise move that could give a close and trusted aide of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif powers to also oversee the economic policies.
The announcement was made by the Prime Minister’s Office and the Foreign Office at a time when both Prime Minister Shehbaz and Foreign Minister Dar were in Saudi Arabia to attend the special meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF).
“The Prime Minister has been pleased to designate Mr. Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, as Deputy Prime Minister with immediate effect and until further orders,” read the notification form the Cabinet Division.
A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, stated that the “Prime Minister has given approval for appointing Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar as the Deputy Prime Minister just a little while ago”.
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There was no explanation as to what prompted the Shehbaz to elevate Dar and that too on Sunday when he was not even in Pakistan. Dar would remain the foreign minister, while performing the role of Shehbaz deputy, as per the notification issued by the government.
Dar is the fourth deputy prime minister in Pakistan’s history. Last time Parvez Elahi served as deputy prime minister in 2012 during the then Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government. At the time Elahi’s PML-Quaid-e-Azam was a coalition partner of the PPP and his appointment was symbolic and part of power-sharing deal. However, Elahi held no powers.
There is no mention of the post of deputy prime minister in the Constitution. And there is no clarity either about the powers Dar may exercise as deputy prime minister. Some observers believe that Dar has been given this additional charge to address his grievances about being overlooked for the post of finance minister.
Dar had always been the first choice of the PML-N for the finance minister. However, after the February 8 elections, the coveted post was given to Muhammad Aurangzeb, a former banker. It is believed that Dar never liked the decision though he was compensated after being appointed as the foreign minister.
Sources said Dar as foreign minister still kept a close watch on the activities in the Finance ministry. Some officials from the finance ministry and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) kept seeing him at the Foreign Office, indicating keen interest of Dar in financial matters.
There was no explanation given by the government regarding the surprise decision. But some people saw the development as an indication of increased role of three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in government affairs.
Some quarters expressed the fear that the move might trigger a potential power struggle within the government. They feared that Dar’s elevation could not only undermine the role of finance minister but also Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Dar severed as finance minister during the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led coalition government after the ouster of former prime minister Imran Khan. There was talk among some close PML-N circles that Dar often bypassed Shehbaz and took direct orders from Nawaz.
That was the reason Shehbaz never wanted Dar to be appointed as finance minister in his cabinet after the February 8 elections. Shehbaz might have succeeded in his effort but Dar’s new role could jeopardise his authority.
However, others believe that Dar’s role would be ceremonial as powers that be would never let him interfere in the finance ministry’s matter. “This was just a symbolic move,” said one source. “Even if Aurangzeb fails there is no chance Dar would return as finance minister,” the source added.