Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif’s special assistant Huzaifa Rehman jas compared the premier’s intelligence to that of physicist Isaac Newton, saying that he often told him that his IQ was close to British scientist’s IQ.
Speaking about Shehbaz Sharif’s work routine and the expectations of cabinet members, Rehman said that the prime minister worked from 6am to 10pm and held a federal cabinet meeting every week.
He stated that Shehbaz Sharif does not tolerate corruption or incompetence, not does he allow people he considers corrupt or incompetent to remain close to him. Rehman added that ministers whose performance failed to meet the prime minister’s expectations could not expect to remain in his close circle.
Rehman made the remarks while responding to complaints by Qaiser Sheikh, who had said in media interviews that the prime minister did not give him time for a meeting.
The special assistant added that federal and provincial cabinet members who faced any issues should raise them at the cabinet forum. He recalled that Qaiser Sheikh had previously served as maritime affairs minister before his transfer to the privatisation ministry, adding that his performance in the new portfolio had also come under discussion in a cabinet meeting.
Rehman further claimed that Shehbaz Sharif maintained high expectations of his ministers’ performance and said that the prime minister would remove 52 or 53 of the 55 cabinet members if he had his way.
“I often tell the prime minister that his IQ is close to Newton’s,” Rehman said. He added jokingly that he believed he would remain in the cabinet because his own IQ was close to the prime minister’s.
Speaking about Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab Maryam Nawaz, Rehman said that she had ensured merit in the province. He said that political figures often expected the government to appoint their preferred candidates as deputy commissioners or tehsildars, but Maryam Nawaz had established a policy under which appointments took place strictly on merit.
