ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday appointed Raoof Hasan, who is brother of Fawad Hasan Fawad, the former principal secretary to then prime minister Nawaz Sharif, as special assistant to the PM (SAPM) on information.

The post was lying vacant since the resignation of the former SAPM retired Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa.

According to a notification, Mr Hasan will perform his duties as SAPM in honorary capacity with immediate effect.

Raoof Hasan is also the chief executive of a think-tank called Regional Peace Institute in Pakistan.

In reply to a question, Mr Raoof said: “My appointment has nothing to do with my family and I keep my family out of it.”

With the appointment of Raoof Hasan, the strength of the federal cabinet has gone up to 51 with 27 federal ministers, three ministers of state, 16 special assistants and five advisers to the PM.

Under the 18th Constitution Amendment, maximum strength of the federal cabinet should be 11 per cent of the total number of seats in the National Assembly (342) and Senate (104) which comes to 49.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2020