Dar makes a comeback on the cards
With hopes high that the new federal cabinet will be finalized by Thursday, the discussion process is well underway.
Sources said that Ishaq Dar’s possible reappointment as finance minister is likely, and that the senior leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will be instrumental in forming the government.
It is probable that Sardar Muhammad Yousuf will oversee religious matters in the meantime. According to reports, Khawaja Asif is vying for the defense ministry, Ahsan Iqbal for interior minister or planning, Ataullah Tarar for communications minister, and Anusha Rahman for the IT role.
If Ishaq Dar takes on a new function, the financial advisor may be a chief executive officer of a private bank.
The PML-N and its allies have received dinner invitations from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The newly elected premier is expected to throw a dinner at the Prime Minister House on Thursday, according to insider sources.
Ataullah Tarar, the head of the PML-N, has stated that no choices have been taken on ministerial portfolios, and the federal cabinet has not yet been formally announced.
Recall that a major coalition government ally, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has already voiced opposition to Ishaq Dar’s possible reappointment as finance minister.
Analysts also refer to Shehbaz’s earlier stint as premier in the PDM government, at which time Dar’s nomination as finance minister was seen as one of the biggest errors made by the administration.
Initially, Miftah Ismail had been named finance czar by Shehbaz in an attempt to bring the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program back to life. But after only five months in the position, Shehbaz brought in Dar, a cousin and four-time finance minister who was renowned for taking a firm stance in controlling the rupee-dollar exchange rate, to succeed Ismail.
Afterwards, Ismail claimed that Dar had manipulated him in order to get the desired ministry.
In 2022–2023, there was instability in the currency rate, and the new finance minister openly accused the IMF of having a political purpose.
Experts advise Shehbaz not to make the same mistake twice as Ishaq Dar is once again a contender for the finance minister post, stating that it might be “disastrous” for his second term as prime minister.
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