Sarwar Awan
Islamabad
Senator Shibli Faraz has been appointed as the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Chairman CPEC Lt-Gen (Retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa has been given the assignment as the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting in place of Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan.
The development was announced on Monday, with the Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry taking to Twitter to congratulate the two. Faraz is serving as the Leader of the House in the Senate while Lt-Gen (Retd) Asim Bajwa has served formerly as the DG ISPR.
Prime Minister Imran Khan had appointed Dr Firdous as special assistant to the prime minister on information and broadcasting in April 2019. She had replaced Fawad Chaudhry, who is currently the minister for science and technology. Last year, the government had appointed Lt- Gen (Retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa as chairman of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority. Lt-Gen Bajwa had served as Commander Southern Command before his retirement.
“The prime minister … has been pleased to appoint Lt-Gen (Retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa as special assistant to the prime minister on information and broadcasting, in [an] honorary capacity, with immediate effect,” a notification issued by the Cabinet Division said.
A second notification read: “The prime minister has removed Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan from the office of special assistant to the prime minister on information and broadcasting, with immediate effect.”
In 2018, Shibli Faraz, the son of renowned poet Ahmad Faraz, was appointed as Leader of the House in the Senate. He had served as chairman of the Senate’s standing committee on commerce. Shibli is also a member of committees responsible for planning and development, water and climate change.
President Dr Arif Alvi will administer the oath of office to Shibli Faraz as federal minister today. The oath taking ceremony will be attended by federal Ministers and other high ranking officials. Meanwhile, according to a news channel, Pakistan Muslim League-N and Pakistan People’s Party have welcomed the appointment of Shibli Faraz as new Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister.
