A prominent leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and close aide of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Asad Umar has decided to step aside after being asked to assume the Energy Minister portfolio. “As part of a cabinet reshuffle, [the] prime minister desired that I take the energy minister portfolio instead of finance,” he said. “However, I have obtained his consent to not take any cabinet position.”

The decision to replace Asad Umar is official admission of incompetence at the part of PTI. It is the first official and formal acknowledgement of ‘incompetence’ by the PTI government. For months now the government has been hiding behind a wall of denial about the fact that it is not being able to deliver on all key fronts and especially the economy. The clichéd defence was: “give us more time” and “it is the last government’s mess. Asad Umar’s axing is an admission that it is now PTI’s mess”.

The decision has considerably weakened the confidence of the PTI and its supporters. “Asad Umar’s sacking is also an acceptance that the entire logic on which PTI had been building its narrative the last eight months was flawed. This is a massive blow to PTI’s confidence and an even greater blow to the PTI mantra that it can do no wrong. The sacking of Asad Umar brings down PTI from its high horse. It also punctures its self-proclaimed savior image and that it had everything worked out before it came to power.

The PM’s Office announced a major reshuffle of the federal cabinet on Thursday, with key portfolios of finance, information, health and petroleum division seeing new faces.

PTI – especially its young cadres – are totally demoralized after this “Bloody Thursday “; Imran Khan needs to find the right explanation & language to restore trust of a battered nation; otherwise the road ahead will be very slippery.

Eight months into the tenure of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, Prime Minister Imran Khan has pulled back his key players from the front line in a major federal cabinet reshuffle on Thursday.

The first key decision came earlier in the day when Asad Umar, who was facing mounting criticism in recent weeks over the state of the country’s economy, was ousted as the finance minister.

The fact of the minister’s removal is one thing, but the circumstances tell a story all their own. Mr Asad managed to salvage his dignity by facing the press corps right after his announcement and putting on a brave face, reiterating his faith in the party and its mission, demonstrating rapport with the reporters — and doing it all with a smile.

Dr. Hafeez Shaikh, an economist, and former federal minister, has been chosen to fix the economic maladies and appointed adviser on finance.

Fawad Chaudhry, who was holding the portfolio of the ministry of information and broadcasting, would now serve as the minister for science and technology.

Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, a former information minister, has taken over as the special assistant to the prime minister on the information.

Shehryar Afridi, the state minister for interior, has been assigned the portfolio of the States and Frontier Regions (Safron) ministry.

Brig (retd) Ijaz Shah, who was appointed the parliamentary affairs minister last month, has been named as the interior minister.

Former Finance Minsiter Asad Umar wanted not to work according to the conditions posed by the IMF. Therefore, he did not go to the international forum after assuming his office. He tried to reform the economy at first so that he might be in a position to negotiate something reasonable with the IMF. Sources report that the international bureaucracy was not happy with Asad Umar who was not willing to compromise on many points and was persistently firm on his principles.

It is yet to be seen how will PM Khan lead his team after Asad Umar. A serious legitimacy crisis has been created after Asad Umar’s resignation who has been the face of PTI’s Tabdeeli.