Pak defence minister gets additional charge of foreign ministry

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan was today given the additional charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, days after former foreign minister Khawaja Asif was disqualified by the high court here.

Asif, 68, was disqualified by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) last month for concealing details of his UAE work permit while contesting polls in 2013.

Dastgir Khan, 47, a PML-N federal lawmaker from Gujranwala, was assigned the additional charge of the foreign ministry by the federal government.

Khan has served in several ministries during the incumbent government's tenure.

He started off as the state minister for privatisation in 2013, but later the same year was moved to the commerce ministry.

He soon took charge as the federal minister for commerce and continued to serve there until former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court in July 2017.

Khan, the son of veteran politician Ghulam Dastgir Khan, then took charge of the defence ministry under Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as Asif was given the foreign affairs portfolio.

He will serve the ministries until the end of the government's tenure later this month.

Asif was the second high ranking leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) who was removed after party chief and former prime minister Sharif was disqualified for corruption last year.

Asif's disqualification is considered as another huge blow to the PML-N ahead of general elections scheduled to be held after June.