ISLAMABAD: Syed Zulfiqar Bukhari assumed responsibilities as the special assistant to the prime minister for overseas Pakistanis and human resource development as a state minister on Monday.
Bukhari is a close aide of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is currently investigating Bukhari over the establishment of offshore companies in the British Virgin Islands (BVI).
Bukhari met with the federal secretary after taking office and was briefed on matters relevant to his new post.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Media Iftikhar Durrani voiced his support over the appointment of Bukhari at the post despite criticism from some quarters. Durrani said that Bukhari has the necessary credentials required to execute his duties.
“It will be unfair to remove him from office until an actual reference is filed,” Durrani said in reference to NAB’s investigations against Bukhari, adding that the allegations against him are politically motivated.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) in July allowed the Ministry of Interior to make decision on NAB’s application to add Bukhari’s name to the Exit Control List (ECL) for establishing offshore companies in the British Virgin Islands.
