ISLAMABAD: A former aide and donor of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has assumed a significant role in the government as Special Assistant on Investment to Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar.
Muhammad Tahir Javed, a Pakistani-American entrepreneur hailing from Texas, has been entrusted with the investment portfolio and, with immediate effect, has been inducted into the cabinet, as per an official notification from the Prime Minister’s office.
PM Kakar has accorded him the same benefits and privileges as a minister of state.
Mr. Javed is the owner of Riceland Healthcare, a multi-million-dollar health company based in the United States. He has a history of financial contributions to and active campaigning for Imran Khan and PTI during their tenure in power.
Describing himself as a Pakistani-American business magnate and philanthropist on his social media profiles, Javed has now become a vocal critic of the former Prime Minister. He has openly criticized Khan, labeling his stint as Prime Minister as a failure and suggesting that Khan’s sole claim to fame is his celebrity status as a cricketer.
In a recent interview, Javed questioned Khan’s trustworthiness and cited his unsuccessful visit to the United States in November 2019, asserting that the trip had yielded little benefit for Pakistan, despite Javed’s extensive efforts to promote Khan’s agenda.
However, during Khan’s tenure in office, Javed publicly praised him for his successful visit and expressed gratitude for Khan’s efforts in highlighting critical issues related to Pakistan’s objectives.
In November 2019, Khan specifically commended Javed for his contributions, stating, “Mr. Tahir Javed has been instrumental in establishing the Pakistan Congress Foundation, which has played a pivotal role in reviving and activating the Congressional Pakistan Caucus in the 116th Congress.”
Javed, a former PTI aide, had previously claimed to have organized meetings with over 60 U.S. senators during his visit to the United States. Photographs from those meetings depicted Javed alongside the former Prime Minister, and the two also met at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington at the conclusion of the visit.
Subsequently, Javed met with Khan in Islamabad and shared a video of their meeting on social media, applauding Khan for granting voting rights to overseas Pakistanis in future elections and commending his speech at the UN General Assembly on Islamophobia.
Following Khan’s removal through a vote of confidence, Javed shifted his stance and criticized Khan for failing to secure a conversation with President Joe Biden, citing a lack of trust and dissatisfaction with Khan’s statements on international matters as the reasons.
Known to have close ties with Hillary Clinton and various Democratic Party leaders, Javed has expressed that Khan’s public support for the Taliban greatly disturbed the U.S. government. He has contended that Khan should have handled foreign policy matters differently.
In his new role, Javed, who claims to have connections within the Joe Biden administration, has pledged to attract foreign investment to Pakistan and has extended full support to the interim government. He remains optimistic that Pakistan’s current challenges are short-term and will be surmounted soon.
(Islamabad51_Newsdesk)
