ISLAMABAD: Former finance minister Asad Umar made his way back to the federal cabinet on Tuesday as he was sworn in as the minister for planning and development.

President Dr Arif Alvi administered the oath to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) MNA from Islamabad at a ceremony at Aiwan-i-Sadr.

His predecessor in the planning ministry Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar was given the portfolio of minister for national food security, which was previously held by Sahibzada Mehboob Sultan, sources said.

Mr Sultan has now been made the federal minister for States and Frontier Regions, the ministry that was previously headed by Shehryar Afridi as a minister of state.

Khusro Bakhtiar made minister for food security

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan had stated in a tweet on Monday that Mr Umar would replace Mr Bakhtiar as minister for planning and development while the latter would be given the portfolio of petroleum minister.

Mr Umar served as the finance minister for about eight months, from Aug 20 last year to April 18 this year.

At the time of his removal from the finance ministry, the prime minister had offered him the portfolio of petroleum minister, but he had declined, saying he would work for the party from outside the cabinet.

According to the sources, more changes are expected to be made in the cabinet in the next few days.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2019