In the past finance minister was not always included in the
CCI, yet energy
minister and planning minister were included because they deal with matters of
concern with provinces.
According to the notification issued by the Secretariat of
Council of Common Interests on March 25, 2024, in exercise of powers conferred
under Article 153 of the Constitution of Pakistan, the president on the advice
of prime minister, has constituted eight Member Council of Common Interests,
with effect from March 21, 2024
that include Prime Minister (Chairman); Chief Minister Balochistan
(Member); Chief Minster, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Member); Chief Minister, Punjab
(Member); Chief Minister, Sindh (Member); Ishaq Dar, Minister for Foreign
Affairs; Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister for Defence and Engr Amir Muqam, Minister for States&
Frontier Region (SAFRAN).
The new notification supersedes Secretariat of CCI’s
notification of January 9, 2024 issued during the term of caretaker government. Caretaker prime minister included the
then Finance Minister, Dr Shamsha Akhtar, Minister for Privatisation, Fawad
Hasan Fawad and Minister for Law and Justice, Ahmad Irfan Aslam as Members of
the CCI.
Analysts argued that presence of finance minister and law
minister in Council of Common Interests is critical as these two portfolios are
required to respond to different queries raised by the provinces during the
meeting.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also conferred control of
Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCoP) to Ishaq Dar against past practice of
giving it to the Finance Minister.
The caretaker government of Anwaarul Haq Kakar gave the
chairmanship of CCoP to Privatisation Minister Fawad Hasan Fawad aimed at
expediting actions on decisions of PC Board.
Earlier, Cabinet
Division has issued a
notification of Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet, under the
chairmanship of Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif himself. However, after massive
criticism from the media, the notification was withdrawn and a new one issued
giving the chairmanship to the finance minister.
