Ali J. Siddiqui has been appointed as a special assistant to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi with immediate effect, according to a Cabinet Division notification issued Wednesday.

Siddiqui, chairman of JS Bank Ltd and JS Private Equity Management, is the son of Jahangir Siddiqui, a businessman and philanthropist.

Siddiqui, who was named in the Panama Papers leaks in 2016 enjoys the status of state minister under his new appointment, but is yet be assigned a portfolio, DawnNews reported.

He also holds a directorship at Airblue and the Mahvash and Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation, and has previously served as executive director at JS Investments Ltd and as director at Crosby. He holds a BA in Economics from Cornell University.

Opinion

Editorial

Sustainable path?
13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

THE FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth ...
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...
A difficult story
Updated 12 Jun, 2026

A difficult story

Unless productivity becomes the dominant target of economic policy, Pakistan will continue to oscillate between crises and fragile recovery.
Rough waters
12 Jun, 2026

Rough waters

AMONGST the key potential triggers for fresh conflict in South Asia is water. The Indian state is behaving in an...
Politicised football
12 Jun, 2026

Politicised football

ALMOST three-and-half years since Lionel Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory, the latest edition of...