President forms National Economic Council under chairmanship of PM Shehbaz

ISLAMABAD – President Asif Ali Zardari formed the National Economic Council (NEC) on Friday, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif serving as chairman, according to Dunya News.

According to a Cabinet Division notification, “In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of Article 156 of the Constitution of Pakistan, the president of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is pleased to constitute the National Economic Council.”

The chairman will be Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, with members from all four provinces: Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzaib, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, and Planning and Development Minister Ashan Iqbal have also been announced as NEC members.

Meanwhile, four members of the National Economic Council have been nominated by their respective chief ministers under Article 156 of the Constitution, paragraph (b), clause (1).

Marriyum Aurangzeb, Senior Minister for Planning and Development; Jam Khan Shoro, Minister for Irrigation, Government of Sindh; Muzammil Aslam, Adviser to KP Chief Minister on Finance; and Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, Minister for Planning and Development, Balochistan.

According to the notification, Federal Minister Ahad Cheema, the Planning Commission’s deputy chairman, the finance secretary, and the secretary of economic affairs may attend council meetings by special invitation.

Meanwhile, the first meeting of the National Economic Council has been scheduled for June 10 at 11:45 a.m. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will preside over the meeting.