Newly appointed Federal Finance Minister Hammad Azhar on Thursday rendered Prime Minister Imran Khan speechless with his blunt answer to the chief executive’s question. 

At the federal cabinet meeting, which took place in Islamabad on Thursday, the prime minister asked the finance minister, “Why did the ECC approve the summary for import of sugar and cotton from India yesterday?”

Hammad responded bluntly in the presence of all cabinet members. He said, “Mr Prime Minister, you asked me two weeks ago to get this done.”

On this, the cabinet members praised the finance minister for his straightforwardness. Later, the prime minister postponed approval of the agenda of the cabinet meeting. 

A day after the ECC approved import of cotton and sugar from India, the federal cabinet led by Prime Minister Imran Khan rejected the summary, saying that Pakistan would not do trade with Indian until New Delhi withdraws a controversial legislation vis-à-vis the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. 

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar and Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari vigorously opposed the summary in favour of import of sugar and cotton from India.