ISLAMABAD, April 29: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani appointed on Sunday Fawad Chaudhry as his special assistant for information and political affairs with the status of a minister of state.

Mr Chaudhry, a former spokesman for Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf, joined the Pakistan People’s Party about two months ago. Since then he has been defending Mr Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari in the media.

Sources said Mr Gilani appointed Mr Chaudhry after consultation with President Zardari.

Mr Chaudhry belongs to a known political family from Jhelum and his grandfather Chaudhry Mohammad Awais was a member of the former West Pakistan Assembly.

His uncle Chaudhry Altaf Hussain was the governor of Punjab during the second government of Benazir Bhutto in 1993.—Staff Reporter