ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Prime Minister Imran Khan has assigned the additional portfolio of the Ministry of Finance and Revenue to Muhammad Hammad Azhar.
Separately, the prime minister has appointed Tabish Gauhar as his Special Assistant on Power and Petroleum on an honorary basis.
In this regard, notifications have been issued by the Cabinet Secretariat.
Hammad Azhar has replaced Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh for the post who had lost to Opposition’s Joint Candidate Yousaf Raza Gillani in the Senate Elections 2021 held at the Parliament House in Islamabad on March 3.
I am honoured to be entrusted with the additional charge of Finance by the Prime Minister.
Pakistan’s economy has made significant gains towards stabilisation since 2018. We shall continue to consolidate these gains and strengthen the growth momentum. 1/2
— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) March 29, 2021
We navigated econ fallout of covid-19 fairly well. The world is witnessing supply chain disruptions & rise in food prices. We shall endeavour to protect our ppl from these shocks.
With hard work & integrity, we will InshAllah build Naya Pakistan under leadership of @ImranKhanPTI
— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) March 29, 2021
Sources said that Dr. Hafeez Shaikh may continue to be part of the Federal Cabinet as the Adviser because he can’t be a Minister now without being the Parliamentarian.
Previously, Hammad Azhar had been holding the portfolio of the Federal Minister of Industries and Production since April 6, 2020 and now he has been assigned the additional portfolio of Finance and Revenue.
Hammad served as the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs from July 10, 2019 till April 5, 2020. He also served as the Minister of State for Revenue from September 11, 2018 to July 9, 2019 and then briefly as the Federal Minister for Revenue from July 8, 2019 to July 9, 2019.
In the 2018 general elections, Hammad defeated Mehr Ishtiaq Ahmad Anwar of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) from NA-126 (Lahore-IV) Constituency and became the member of the National Assembly for the first time.
