SAPM Tariq Fatemi deprived of foreign affairs portfolio

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) Tariq Fatemi has been deprived of his foreign affairs’ portfolio in the federal cabinet headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, ARY NEWS reported.

However, he has not been removed as SAPM and only his portfolio of foreign affairs has been withdrawn and now his position has been notified as equivalent to a state minister. “He will be receiving perks of the state minister,” the sources said.

Meanwhile, sources claimed that Fatemi was removed over reservations from the PPP as the party suggested that the government should avoid making controversial appointments.

Secretary General PPP Nayyar Bukhari said that appointment of Tariq Fatemi could hurt coalition government. “The allies should have been taken into confidence over appointment of Fatemi,” he said.

The PPP leader further said that the PML-N assured to give foreign affairs ministry to PPP and after Bilawal Bhutto and Hina Rabbani Khar, the appointment of Tariq Fatemi has no justification.

Tariq Fatemi, a key figure named in the Dawn leaks inquiry, was appointed special assistant to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

He was one of the main characters who were named in the Dawn leaks scandal. It should be noted that he was removed from the same post in 2016 after being named in the Dawn Leaks inquiry.

It may be recalled that the former envoy had earlier been the Special Assistant to the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for Foreign Affairs from 2013 to 2017.

Who is Tariq Fatemi?

Tariq Fatemi, 72, was born in Dhaka in 1944. Fatemi holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in Arts.

The former special assistant to the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Foreign Affairs Fatemi was named in the Dawn Leaks. The allegations levelled against him were made by in the inquiry into a Dawn story.

He joined the foreign service at the age of 29 in October 1969. His career as a diplomat spans 35 years, with a number of high-profile appointments around the world.