Pakistan's former finance minister Hafeez Shaikh tests COVID-19 positive

Former Pakistan finance minister Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh has tested positive for the COVID-19 disease. This comes a day after Hafeez was forced to resign as Pakistan’s finance minister following pressure on the country’s Prime Minister Imran Khan over rising inflation and matters of taxation. The news of Hafeez’s diagnosis was shared by the newly-appointed finance minister Hammad Azhar. 

Hammad Azhar, who has been selected as the replacement for Hafeez by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan, took to Twitter to share the news about his predecessor’s diagnosis. Azhar wished “good health” and “swift recovery” to Hafeez. Azhar, who is the minister for industries & production, has also served under Hafeez as deputy when the latter was an advisor to PM Imran Khan for finance and revenue. 

Hafeez's election defeat

Just recently, Hafeez had lost the Senate election at the hands of Yousaf Raza Gilani, who has served as the 18th Prime Minister of Pakistan and is a member of Bilawal Bhutto’s Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Hafeez was appointed the finance minister of Pakistan in December 2020 and as per law, he was required to win an election within six months. Hafeez’s political career goes back to the early 2000s when he served as finance minister of the Sindh province. Hafeez has also served as finance minister under Yousaf Gilani from 2010 to 2013. 

Meanwhile, Pakistani President Arif Alvi announced on Monday that he has tested positive for COVID-19. Alvi’s positive diagnosis comes weeks after he and his wife received China’s Sinopharm vaccine. Earlier, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan tested positive for COVID-19. Khan tested positive on March 20, two days after he had received the Chinese vaccine. Khan is currently in quarantine. 

(Image and inputs from ANI)