Delegating powers: PM relinquishes charge of defence and law ministries

Khawaja Asif and Pervaiz Rashid are given additional portfolios of defence and law ministries, respectively.

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday assigned the additional charge of the ministry of defence to Federal Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif.

The PM also gave the additional portfolio of the Ministry of Law and Justice to Senator Pervaiz Rashid, who is also the federal minister for information, broadcasting and national heritage, said a statement issued from the PM House.

The appointments coincide with those of Pakistan’s new army chief and joint chiefs of staff committee chairman.

Soon after taking the charge, Khawaja Asif called a meeting to discuss the missing persons’ case. He also asked all the officials concerned to attend the meeting.



The decision came after the Supreme Court, which is hearing the missing persons’ case, on Tuesday ordered the ministry of defence (then headed by the prime minister himself) to present 35 missing persons till November 28 or appear before the court in person.

Now if the government failed to present missing persons till November 28, Khawaja Asif would appear before the Supreme Court as defence minister.

On Tuesday, the additional secretary defence had appeared before the SC bench and had told that the defence secretary could not present himself before the court as he was ailing. However, Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry rejected the excuse, saying that the defence secretary should have given his charge to somebody else.

When informed that the prime minister held the portfolio of the defence minister, the CJ had asked to tell the defence minister that the missing people had been handed to the army from Malakand Jail and the problem could be solved only after the case was registered.

Later, the additional defence secretary, informing the bench that he had been assigned the charge of defence secretary, had requested to allow him some time. The SC bench had voiced displeasure over the plea and ordered him to present the missing persons the same day.

Later, the additional attorney general (AAG) had appeared before the court and requested for more time as he had not been able to contact the prime minister. The bench, observing that it would not flinch from calling any high-profile personality if needed, had ordered the defence minister and the defence secretary to appear before the court, if the missing persons were not presented on November 28.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 28^th, 2013.