PM reshuffles cabinet, elevates Sh Rasheed to Interior Ministry

| Azam Swati will take place of Rasheed as Railways 

Minister | Brig Ijaz Shah given portfolio of Narcotics 

Control | Hafeez Shaikh made Federal Minister for Finance

ISLAMABAD   -  In a surprise move, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday reshuffled four cabinet members and appointed senior politician Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed as Federal Interior Minister. Rasheed will replace Brig (retired) Ijaz Shah, who has been given the portfolio of ministry of narcotics control. Azam Swati will take Sheikh Rasheed’s place as Railways Minister. The prime minister also appointed Hafeez Shaikh as Federal Minister for Finance in the latest reshuffle in the federal cabinet. This is 4th fourth reshuffle in the federal cabinet in less than three years of the PTI government.

According to a notification issued by the Cabinet Secretariat, Cabinet Division, Sheikh Rasheed was appointed as Federal Minister for Interior. He was replaced by Senator Muhammad Azam Khan Swati as Federal Minister for Railways.  Similarly, portfolio of Ijaz Ahmed Shah was also changed and he was appointed as federal Minister for Narcotics Control.

Although the change in the Federal Cabinet was expected since long, Prime Minister Khan has been delaying it for reasons best know to him. However, the most significant change was in the portfolio of Interior Ministry.

Insiders say outgoing Interior Minister Brig (retired) Ijaz Ahmed Shah had requested the prime minister for the change in his portfolio because of his health conditions and the premier was kind enough to consider his request. The prime minister now has given him the portfolio of Ministry of Narcotics Control because of his professional experience. He was given him this special assignment to control use of narcotics among the youth and to break the powerful nexus of narcotics and corruption in the national politics.

On the other hand, political observers say bringing Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed in the Interior Ministry is Prime Minister’s political move, which comes as the protest campaign of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to send PTI-led government packing is picking up momentum.

They believe that Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, who runs his own small party and is personal friend of Imran Khan, is a seasoned politician and could be the best choice to handle the opposition’s anti-Imran Khan protest campaign.

They also argue that Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, because of his political acumen and wide ranging ministerial experience, would exercise the carrot and stick options in handling the opposition’s protest.  However, according to some critics, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, an outspoken politician may not be proved effective as an Interior Minister because the leaders of major opposition parties are his traditional rivals.

Some fear, he may take such steps that would complicate the situation instead of solving the issues. However, a few have also raised their eyebrows over suddenly changing portfolio of Shaikh Rasheed Ahmed. They were of the view that a sudden change in the portfolio of Railways minister might have something to do with the fate of much-awaited multibillion dollars ML-1 (Main Line-1) project to be carried out under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Another significant change in portfolios of the cabinet members is elevations of Dr Hafeez Sheikh as Federal Minister for Finance for six months.