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Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has been appointed as the deputy prime minister, according to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division on Sunday.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif made the appointment “with immediate effect and until further orders.”
Before Dar, the last individual to hold the position of deputy prime minister was Chaudhry Pervez Elahi of PML-Q, appointed in June 2012.
Dar’s political career includes serving as federal minister for commerce and investment in Nawaz Sharif’s government from 1997 to 1999. He has also held the position of federal minister for finance, economic affairs, revenue, and statistics twice, from 1998 to 1999 and in 2008.
Prior to his federal ministerial roles, Dar was minister of state and chief executive of the Pakistan Investment Board (PIB) from 1992 to 1993. He has also served as president of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
In 2008, Dar briefly served as federal finance minister before resigning when PML-N decided to leave the PPP-led coalition government. He later resumed the role of finance minister in Nawaz Sharif’s government in 2013.
Dar was reappointed as finance minister from September 2022 until the end of the coalition government’s tenure in August 2023.
Despite his longstanding expertise in finance within the PML-N, Dar was unexpectedly appointed as minister of foreign affairs in PM Shehbaz’s recent cabinet reshuffle. Muhammad Aurangzeb was chosen for the finance portfolio.
Dar has been considered a pivotal figure in Nawaz Sharif’s inner circle, wielding significant influence, particularly during Nawaz’s tenure as prime minister.
