Army, Musharraf grilled candidates before appointing them as ministers

Lahore, July 21 : The Pakistan Army and then President General Pervez Musharraf grilled all prospective candidates before appointing them as ministers in the government.

This is Pakistan's former Religious Affairs Minister Ejaz-ul-Haq's claim, and he adds that former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was also interviewed by army generals before he was made the country's Finance Minister.

The Daily Times quoted him as saying that in those days, a minister was first interviewed by army generals and then by Musharraf.

Aziz, Ejaz claimed, was quite keen to become Pakistan's Finance Minister, adding that the Chaudhry brothers had reservations about his appointment.

Ejaz said Aziz possessed a skill in 'making relations' and it was this skill that helped him become Pakistan's Finance Minister and later the country's Prime Minister.

ANI