PM appoints Ishaq Dar as alternate chairman of key economic committee

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has appointed Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar as the alternate chairman of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec). 

Dar, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister, was previously a member of Ecnec.

The decision came just two weeks after the constitution of Ecnec and further solidified Dar’s influence in economic affairs. 

The PM has retained the position of Ecnec chairman amid earlier resistance to making Dar the head of the committee. 

Ecnec is responsible for decisions on economic and development plans. 

According to a notification by the Cabinet Division, Dar will chair Ecnec meetings in the absence of the prime minister, with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb sitting under his chairmanship. 

Earlier, on June 15, 2024, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif removed Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb from the chairmanship of the Ecnec and took over the leadership of the key economic decision-making body himself. 

Ecnec, which comprises eight members from the federal and provincial governments, is tasked with approving major development projects of Rs7.5 billion and above. 

The committee’s first meeting is expected to consider several mega projects, including the $6.7 billion Mainline-I railway project and the $2 billion Karakoram Highway project.