ISLAMABAD: Two days before the Supreme Court is to take up petitions seeking prosecution of former military ruler retired General Pervez Musharraf on treason charges, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif withdrew the law ministry’s portfolio from Zahid Hamid in an apparent move to save his government from any possible embarrassment.

According to a Cabinet Division notification issued on Saturday, Mr Hamid has now been allocated the portfolio of science and technology as federal minister.

It said Khurram Dastagir, the Minister of State for Science and Technology, has been given the portfolio of privatisation. No new law minister has so far been appointed.

Sources in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) told Dawn that Mr Hamid had himself requested the prime minister to change his portfolio after filing of a petition seeking his trial along with Gen Pervez Musharraf for “high treason” since he was the law minister in the Musharraf cabinet as well.