October 08, 2008	Wednesday	Shawwal 08, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Oct 7: The government has decided to appoint senior banker Shaukat Tareen as the prime minister’s adviser on finance.

Mr Tareen himself told this correspondent that a notification about his appointment might be issued on Wednesday and that he would be part of the official delegation headed by the finance minister which would attend meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington.

Mr Tareen will head the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council and the Economic Coordination Committee.

According to a handout issued on Tuesday, Mr Tareen met Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and exchanged views with him on the economic situation.

Mr Tareen is currently the chief executive officer of the Saudi Pak Commercial Bank. He has previously worked as president of Habib Bank and Union Bank, and as country head of Citibank in Thailand.—Reporter