Caretaker PM to retain most of Shehbaz’s aides

ISLAMABAD: No major reshuffle will take place in civil administration in the wake of change of hands in power in the federal government.

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar has retained three senior close aids of his predecessor Shehbaz Sharif while no federal secretary would be replaced immediately.

Well-placed sources told The News here Monday that Principal Secretary to Prime Minister (PSPM) Dr Syed Tauqir Hussain Shah, former advisor to PM Ahad Cheema and joint secretary Mohib Ali have been retained by the interim PM.

Tauqir Shah will move to World Bank as group executive director of Pakistan in October this year for four years. Till then he will continue as PSPM.

Ahad Cheema is likely to be assigned a post equal to a federal minister, the sources said. Press Secretary to PM Abdul Akbar would also be among the officers who would continue in office. Meanwhile, sources said that  Arshad Muneer Khan, who has been elevated to grade-21, would be posted as Principal Information Officer (PIO). Brigadier Tajdeed Mumtaz will continue as military secretary to the PP. The federal cabinet will be announced later this week and it is likely that new faces will be introduced, the sources added.