Ishaq Dar Will Return as Finance Minister: Senator

Senator Irfan Siddiqui, known for his close association with former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, claimed that Senator Ishaq Dar will again rejoin the federal cabinet as Federal Minister Finance and Revenue. He told reporters that Dar is set to retire from the Senate in March 2024 but will be re-elected soon after, reported a local newspaper. On other positions currently up for contention in the new government, the senator clarified that Dar’s prospects of becoming the Senate chairman are unlikely. He bet big on Dar’s return and tipped him to assume a prominent position in the federal cabinet, with a high likelihood of him being appointed as the finance minister. It bears mentioning that aside from Ishaq Dar, the top ten contenders to head the Finance Division include Suleman Shahbaz, Ehsan Iqbal, Khawaja Asif, Naveed Qamar, Saleem Mandviwala, Khalid Mansoor, Dr. Waqar Masood, Dr. Raza Baqir, Dr. Hafeez Sheikh, and Dr. Shamshad Akhtar. The last five on the list are technocrats who have held key roles in economic ministries or as central bank governors.