Ishaq Dar tipped to be Pakistans next foreign minister

Former finance minister Ishaq Dar is set to be appointed as Pakistans foreign minister, with ex-foreign secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani as advisor and Tariq Fatemi as special assistant.

Former finance minister Ishaq Dar is likely to be appointed as Pakistan's foreign minister, according to a media report on Friday. The news comes as newly-elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif considers options for his Cabinet.

Dar's Potential Role in the Cabinet

Dar, 73, is being considered for the foreign ministry portfolio in the Cabinet, as reported by Geo News, citing sources. Meanwhile, former caretaker ex-minister and former foreign secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani is expected to serve as the advisor to the prime minister on external affairs. Another former diplomat and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, Tariq Fatemi, is likely to be appointed as the special assistant on foreign affairs.

Dar's Background and Political Career

Dar, a close associate of the Sharif family, has served as finance minister in two previous governments. He was present in a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Jilani on Thursday, where Jilani provided an update on developments in foreign affairs during the caretaker setup.

Dar's Economic Challenges

Until recently, Dar was considered the PML-N's go-to person for economic issues, serving as finance minister for the fourth and final time in the previous Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition government. However, he lost the support of the powerful establishment and faced opposition from within his party due to his failure to address economic woes during his last term as finance minister. His reluctance and delay in addressing concerns raised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are believed to have aggravated economic problems.

Dar's Potential Role in the New Government

Initially, Dar was tipped to become the chairman of the Senate, the upper house of the Parliament. However, he lost the race after the PML-N made a deal with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, to secure support for the coalition government. As a result, Dar is now being considered for other roles in the government.

PML-N and PPP Power-Sharing Deal

The PML-N and the PPP have agreed on a power-sharing deal to form a new coalition government, despite the fact that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), backed by former prime minister Imran Khan, won a majority of seats in the 266-member National Assembly. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of the PML-N was elected as the prime minister for a second time.

Pakistan's Foreign Policy and Relations with India

The new government's foreign policy and its relations with other countries, including neighbors, will become clearer after the formation of the Cabinet. According to Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Pakistan desires good relations with all its neighbors, including India, but these relations must be based on respect and equality.