Rabbani replaces Qureshi as Pakistan foreign minister

Updated on: 13 February,2011 09:37 AM IST |
Agencies |

President Asif Ali Zardari dropped Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi as the new 22-member cabinet was sworn in a day after India and Pakistan decided to resume their stalled dialogue

Thirty four year-old Hina Rabbani Khar, was Minister of State for Finance. On Saturday when the new 22-member cabinet was sworn in, she was appointed Foreign Minister.

Former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was offered the post of Ministry of Water and Power but he refused saying it was a demotion.

Qureshi was set to spearhead the long-awaited resumption of bilateral talks with India by visiting New Delhi in July and was due to meet US counterpart Hillary Clinton as part of an ongoing strategic dialogue between the countries. The overall ministry size was likely to be cut to around 40 from the previous 80.

Qureshi's exit has also come at a time when Pakistan-US relations have touched a new low as Islamabad refused to free American diplomat Raymond Davis after he shot dead two Pakistani men in Lahore. On Friday, Davis was charged with murder.

Arrest warrant for Musharraf
A Pakistani court has ordered the arrest of former president Pervez Musharraf and directed him to appear before February 19 on 12 charges by the Federal Investigation Agencyu00a0 saying although he was aware that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan was plotting to kill Benazir Bhutto, he did not pass on the information to the security authorities.

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