ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has restructured the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), appointing himself as the chairman and thereby replacing Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.

Traditionally, the finance minister heads the ECNEC, as seen during the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) government when Miftah Ismail and later Ishaq Dar led the committee. During the caretaker setup, Finance Minister Shamshad Akhtar followed this practice.

This time, the Prime Minister will personally head the ECNEC. Other committee members include Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, and Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal. Additional members are Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Advisor on Finance Muzamil Aslam, and Balochistan Finance Minister Shoaib Nosherwani.

Previously, on June 7, President Asif Ali Zardari formed the National Economic Council (NEC) with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as chairman and the chief ministers of the four provinces as members.

The official notification also included Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, and Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal as NEC members. The chief ministers named as members are Punjab’s Maryam Nawaz, Sindh’s Syed Murad Ali Shah, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Ali Amin Gandapur, and Balochistan’s Sarfaraz Bugti.

In addition to the chief ministers, each provincial government has designated an additional representative to the NEC: Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advisor on Finance Muzamil Aslam, and Balochistan’s Planning and Development Minister Zahoor Ahmed Buledi.