Finance Minister Asad Umar on Thursday announced that he has obtained the prime minister's consent "to not take any cabinet position" amid reports of a reshuffle.
"As part of a cabinet reshuffle, prime minister desired that I take the energy minister portfolio instead of finance," he said. "However, I have obtained his consent to not take any cabinet position."
Reports were circulating earlier this week about a possible reshuffle in the post for Minister for Finance and Minister of State for Interior held by Asad Umar and Shehryar Afridi respectively.
The information minister, although he had not addressed the specific changes reported to the portfolios, had dismissed the reports, saying there was "no truth" to them.
As part of a cabinet reshuffle PM desired that I take the energy minister portfolio instead of finance. However, I have obtained his consent to not take any cabinet position. I strongly believe @ImranKhanPTI is the best hope for Pakistan and inshallah will make a naya pakistan
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) April 18, 2019
Umar recently returned from a trip to Washington in which the details of Pakistan's next International Monetary Fund bailout were finalised, documented and signed. An IMF mission is expected to visit Islamabad before the end of the month to work out technical tables since all major issues had been settled and documented, Umar had said.
