ISLAMABAD: Muhammad Aurangzeb’s role in financial decision-making will be limited if he is made an adviser to the prime minister on finance or a special assistant.
According to a court decision, non-elected advisers or special assistants cannot head a committee of the cabinet. They cannot be made members of a cabinet committee either.
Only a member of parliament can become a federal minister. The prime minister, however, can appoint an unelected person a minister for six months. In such a case, one has to become a member of parliament within six months. The prime minister can chair the cabinet committee himself or can make any minister co-chairman. In the previous coalition government, there were no advisers or special assistants heading the cabinet committees. They were invited to the meetings on special invitation.