ISLAMABAD: The prime minister has constituted seven cabinet committees, one of them is headed by the premier himself, two by the finance minister, and one each by foreign minister, defence minister, law minister and minister for planning and development.
Except one - the cabinet committee for disposal of legislative cases - Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb is included in all these top level committees.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Energy and its members include ministers for finance, economic affairs, petroleum, power and planning and development. Initially the premier also decided to chair the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet but later he changed his mind and appointed the finance minister as head of the ECC, whose members include ministers for economic affairs, commerce, power, petroleum and planning and development.
A cabinet committee on Inter-Governmental Commercial Transactions is notified on Thursday with the minister for defence as its chairman while its members include ministers for finance, economic affairs, privatisation and petroleum. This committee will authorise negotiations for a G2G agreement between the federal government and governments of a foreign states.
The Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises is headed by the finance minister while its members include ministers for maritime affairs, economic affairs, science and technology and housing and works. This committee will deal with matters relating to reforms and restructuring of SOEs, appointments on the boards of such bodies, enforce and monitor the implementation of SOEs Act 2023 and other related laws and policies.
The foreign minister has been appointed as chairman of Cabinet Committee on Privatisation. Its members included ministers for finance, commerce, power, industries and production and privatisation. The committee will formulate privatisation policy for approval of the government. It will also approve the privatisation of the SOEs on the recommendations of the Privatisation Commission.
The prime minister has also constituted a Cabinet Committee on Chinese Investment Projects. Its chairman is minister for planning and developments whereas the members include ministers for foreign affairs, interior, finance, commerce, petroleum, power, railways and science and technology. This committee will oversee the progress of investment projects executed by Chinese companies. It will also facilitate Chinese investment in productive sectors of Pakistan’s economy as the next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
The Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases is headed by minister for law while its members include ministers for information, overseas Pakistanis, commerce, economic affairs and industries and production. This committee will examine whether a fresh legislation or amendments to the existing laws are in line with the constitutional scheme, not in violation of any existing law, and falls within the mandate of Parliament.
The committee will also examine the contents of fresh legislations/rules as well as amendment to the existing laws and rules to ascertain whether such laws and rules are in line with the policy of the government and constitutional scheme.
