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Reshuffle in Pakistan

B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD: Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, high profile Information Minister of Pakistan who raised hackles in India following charges that he sheltered Kashmiri militants in the early 90's, has been divested of his portfolio in a minor re-shuffle of the Cabinet by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. Mr. Ahmed would move to the Ministry of Railways and Muhammad Ali Durrani would succeed him. Mr. Ahmed hit the Indian media headlines last year after India refused to grant him permission to travel by the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus following controversy triggered by JKLF leader Yaseen Malik's remarks that the Minister was generous to the Kashmiri militants. At his farewell news conference here, Mr. Rashid conceded that he was being shifted out of the portfolio because of his "blunt and straight forward statements."

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