ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday appointed Syed Tariq Fatemi, a close aide of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, as his special assistant on foreign affairs.
A notification issued by the Cabinet Division states: “The prime minister, in terms of rule 4(6) of the Rules of Business, 1973 read with serial no. 1A of Schedule V-A of the said rules, has been pleased to appoint Syed Tariq Fatemi, as special assistant to the prime minister on foreign affairs, with immediate effect.” The development comes a day after PM Shehbaz’s much-delayed federal cabinet was sworn in.
According to details, there was a divide within the party over the selection of cabinet members and distribution of portfolios among them. According to the source, several of Nawaz’s closest aides — including Fatemi — were apparently sidelined.
Fatemi had served in the same position during the previous PML-N government under Nawaz but was removed in 2017 for his alleged role in ‘Dawn leaks’ — a story published that reported the details of a high-level civil-military meeting discussing the issue of banned outfits operating in Pakistan. –Agencies
