Return to federal cabinet: Zahid Hamid re-inducted as minister for climate change

FIA official says it will not be easy to probe a minister in Musharraf’s treason trial investigation

ISLAMABAD: In a move that may affect the process of investigation against those involved in subverting the Constitution in November 2007, the government on Tuesday re-inducted Zahid Hamid in the federal cabinet, this time as federal minister for climate change

Hamid, who earlier served in the incumbent cabinet as law minister, had voluntarily stepped down last year after a three-judge special court – holding treason trial of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf – ordered the government to include his name as one of Musharraf’s three abettors.

The other two alleged abettors were former prime minister Shaukat Aziz and former chief justice Abdul Hameed Dogar. Zahid Hamid also served as law minister in Musharraf’s regime.





Hamid’s re-induction in the cabinet has taken place just a week after the IHC set aside the special court’s verdict and ordered the government to initiate fresh investigation against all ‘aiders and abettors’ in the case.

A key member of the FIA commission – tasked with investigating the role of Musharraf’s abettors – said it would not be easy to probe a federal minister.

Talking to The Express Tribune, General Musharraf’s counsel Barrister Farogh Nasim said that the IHC has asked the government to launch fresh investigation against ‘public at large’ to determine the real accused.



“The IHC has only done away with the special court’s judgment that asked to frame charges against three more persons, including Hamid, but it has not given clean chit to anyone,” he added.

However, Khwaja Haris, a constitutional expert, who also represented Hamid in this case, said the IHC’s judgment has cleared the status of Hamid.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2015.