By Naveed Siddiqui
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has been appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan, as per a notification issued by the Cabinet Division on Sunday. This decision was made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his visit to Saudi Arabia to attend the World Economic Forum’s special meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth, and Energy. The appointment is effective immediately and until further notice. Ishaq Dar also accompanied the PM during the visit. This is the fourth time in the history of Pakistan that deputy prime minister has been appointed after Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Nusrat Bhutto and Pervez Elahi. Critics say that Dar was given Deputy PM post despite the fact that he’s not member of National Assembly but a Senator instead. They were if the view that there is and was no provision in the constitution to appoint deputy PM post.
Before Senator Dar’s appointment, the position of Deputy Prime Minister had been vacant since June 2012 when Chaudhry Pervez Elahi held the position. Dar, a seasoned politician, has previously served in various ministerial roles, including federal minister for commerce and investment and federal minister for finance, economic affairs, revenue, and statistics. He also held the position of finance minister for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government in 2013.
Dar’s appointment as Deputy Prime Minister comes as a surprise, as he was previously serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet. Despite his extensive experience in finance, Dar was not assigned the finance portfolio in the recent cabinet reshuffle, with Muhammad Aurangzeb being appointed instead.
Dar’s influence within the PML-N party has been significant, with him being considered a key member of Nawaz Sharif’s inner circle. However, his policies and decisions have faced criticism, particularly from opposition parties such as the PPP. PPP leader Khurshid Shah expressed opposition to Dar’s appointment as finance minister, citing concerns about his ability to improve the economy.
In response to Dar’s appointment as Deputy Prime Minister, PPP leader Faisal Karim Kundi stated that his party had no objections to the decision, emphasizing that it was within the Prime Minister’s prerogative to make such appointments.
Ishaq Dar’s appointment as Deputy Prime Minister marks a significant development in Pakistani politics, especially considering his background primarily in finance. The decision reflects Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s confidence in Dar’s leadership abilities and his importance within the PML-N party. However, it also raises questions about the rationale behind the reshuffling of ministerial portfolios and the future direction of Pakistan’s economic policies under the new cabinet.
