Imran Khan reshuffles cabinet, removes Tareen from Agriculture Task Force
Prime Minister Imran Khan has reshuffled the cabinet amidst the FIA report of sugar crisis holding Jahangir Khan Tareen, federal minister Khusro Bakhtiar’s brother and Chaudhary Moonis Elahi as prominent beneficiaries of the sugar crisis earlier in February.
Khusro Bakhtiar has been given portfolio of economic affairs as he resigned from ministry of food security.
Read more: How Imran Khan is responsible for mega corruption of sugar price hike?
Hammad Azhar is given portfolio of industries, while Azam Khan Swati is made minster for anti-narcotics. Baber Awan has made the minister for parliamentary affairs as he replaced Azam Swati.
1) Cabinet has been reshuffled by Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI
Syed Fakhar Imam has been made Federal Minister for National Food Security
Makhdoon Khusru Bakhtiyar has been made Federal Minister for Economic Affairs
Hammad Azhar has been made Federal Minister for Industries
— Prime Minister's Office, Pakistan (@PakPMO) April 6, 2020
The resignation of Khalid Maqbool Sidddiqi has been accepted and MQM-P’s Amin ul Haq is given portfolio of telecom.
Sugar crisis in Pakistan
The inquiry committee formed by the prime minister Imran Khan in the wake of sugar price hike in February. The report has primarily held responsible Punjab government and the government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa khuwah(KPK). According to the details of the report, Jahangir Khan Tareen, Minister for food Khusro Bakhtiyar’s brother Makhdoom Omer Shehryar Khan, son of Punjab Assembly Speaker Moonis Elahi are the prominent beneficiaries of the artificial sugar price increase. The top beneficiary of the sugar crisis was Jahangir Khan Tareen who availed 22 percent of the total subsidy of Rs 561 million. This is followed by Makhdoom Omer who availed 18 percent subsidy of Rs.452 million.
Jahangeer Khan Tareen removed from the Task Force
In the wake of action after the FIA report, prime minister Imran Khan has removed Jahangeer Khan Tareen from the Agriculture Task Force. Spokesperson PTI Shehbaz Gill said that Jahangeer Khan Tareen has been removed form the Task Force. However, while responding to media, Jahangeer Khan Tareen said that he was neither the head or member of any Agriculture Task Force. Furthermore, Jahangeer Khan Tareen said that he would go to court as the findings of the report are only based on political victimization by Azam Swati.
