PM Imran establishes National Development Council

E-Paper | April 25, 2026

Prime Minister Imran Khan has established a National Development Council (NDC), including Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Chief of Army Staff as members, it emerged on Tuesday.

According to a notification from the Cabinet Secretariat, the council, to be convened at the Prime Minister's Office, shall comprise the following members:

Prime Minister - Chairman
Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs - Member
Federal Minister for Finance/Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance - Member
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform - Member
Federal Minister for Commerce/Advisor to the Prime Minister on Commerce, Industries & Production and Investment - Member
Chief of Army Staff - Member
Provincial Chief Ministers, Prime Minister of AJ&K and Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan (on invitation) - Members
Any additional minister/head of strategic body (on invitation) - Members
Secretary to the Prime Minister - Member
Secretary, Foreign Affairs Division - Member
Secretary, Finance Division - Member
Secretary, Planning, Development & Reforms Division - Member
Additional Secretary, Prime Minister's Office - Secretary Council

The terms of reference of the NDC, outlined in the notification, state that the council shall set policies and strategies for development and "formulate and tailor policies to achieve accelerated economic growth".

The council shall also be responsible for approving long-term planning in relation to national and regional connectivity.

Furthermore, it shall set out guidelines for regional cooperation.

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Usman Khan

Jun 18, 2019 09:33pm

This is amazing,So instead of the cabinet directing policy, it is now this supra parliament committee that will decide without bothering to answer any questions about how or why decisions were made. Meanwhile the humongous cabinet keeps taking their ministerial paycheck without any contribution whatsoever.

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Anti-Corruption_Pakistani

Jun 18, 2019 09:38pm

I want to know: will newly established National Development Council (NDC) be able to get all looted money from corrupt politicians, dishonest bureaucrats, dishonest businessmen and publish who looted how much money through different means? And, what happened to all loans taken fro IMF during the last 10+ years, and, how and where the money spent together with how much each major project cost the nation etc?

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ExMohajirinUK

Jun 18, 2019 09:42pm

Where is the money in budget allocation for this council? Just another hogwash activity to fool ordinary people of the country.

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Moby Moby

Jun 18, 2019 09:49pm

So that was the country needed all this time, a new council.

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Mansur Ul Haque

Jun 18, 2019 10:10pm

Still clueless.Hired alot of professional.Many council were established. Nothing contribution has emerged. Disappointing.

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Zak

Jun 18, 2019 10:13pm

Finally a government who thinks of the masses.

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Bilal Kaifi

Jun 18, 2019 10:14pm

Economic Growth Policies can best be described by growth centric economists, while the planning commision itself has been missing its chief economist for a year and a basic accountant as finance minister turned out to be a disaster. More members in invitation should have the requisite education and experience in articulating economic growth policies.

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Zaheer

Jun 18, 2019 10:15pm

Country is heading to right direction, within next 20 to 30 years Pakistan will emerge as economic giant, provided imran continues.

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Orakzai

Jun 18, 2019 10:15pm

How many councils you are going to establish. What to previous councils for economic and development. Nation want to see work on ground. Your result zero so far.

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Asiya andrabi

Jun 18, 2019 10:24pm

In the name of development all possible nonsense is done rather than doing the only thing that's required- free market capitalism.

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Gordon D. Walker

Jun 18, 2019 10:30pm

More positive economic planning by Khan! Good luck... Gordon D. Walker Canada

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Ali Sabir

Jun 18, 2019 10:37pm

Prime Minister Imran Khan has established a National Development Council so he can be clued in on how business and industry functions and economic growth comes about. He needs to know.

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anil kumar

Jun 18, 2019 10:43pm

A very very positive step.

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Citizen

Jun 18, 2019 10:53pm

Committees committees and committees only!

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kisu

Jun 18, 2019 10:54pm

All posts here are heavy weight. It is a good initiative also. but first of all you need money which is not have in sufficient amount. So one thing you do to reduce the corruption and it will bring the investment for the development.

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brr

Jun 18, 2019 11:09pm

How many councils each week does he set up?

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Abraham D Haque

Jun 18, 2019 11:25pm

What is he trying to develop? ????

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Banda Ajiz

Jun 18, 2019 11:33pm

More waste of money.

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khan

Jun 18, 2019 11:35pm

let’s hope they deliver

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Shah

Jun 18, 2019 11:35pm

PM Khan is a smart man and included the most importabt people for long term planning. This will cement the civilian-military relations for the development of Pakistan.

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speak

Jun 18, 2019 11:44pm

another institution????

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Euro

Jun 18, 2019 11:44pm

We all know establishment is deciding economy policies from past 10 months, now its official nothing new.

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Straight talk

Jun 18, 2019 11:54pm

Khan is developing infrastructure to get us on the right track, the opposition never did anything like this.

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Javed

Jun 19, 2019 01:06am

Dear Captain, Bigger Government is not always better government. There is already a lot of unnecessary duplication.

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anwarsher

Jun 19, 2019 01:31am

He should have done this in the first month of his government. After he has been trying to get into this business for 20 years.

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Azad J

Jun 19, 2019 03:49am

The order of members refutes all lies by pmln and ppp. Conspiracy theories shouldn't nurture anymore in Pakistan.

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Nasiroski

Jun 19, 2019 03:57am

Another committee which means no concrete action.

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A.M. Khawar

Jun 19, 2019 04:19am

It was interesting to note that the Chief of Army Staff is a member of the newly establishes National Development Council (NDC). Wonder what economic expertise he will bring to the NDC to formulate and tailor policies to achieve accelerated growth! Doesn’t he already has enough on his plate to worry about any way?

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Sunnyboy

Jun 19, 2019 04:35am

National development council should include businessmen, entrepreneurs and technical expert, not the bureaucrats.

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Gordon D. Walker

Jun 19, 2019 08:17am

Khan appears a tired old nan, weary of the job, but this guy has heart and will prevail... The country is depending on it! Gordon D. Walker Canada

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Zamrez Mirza

Jun 19, 2019 08:26am

He had better be right this time.

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Abdullah

Jun 19, 2019 10:28pm

He's the one. Khan is the only one who can get the country back on track of prosperity. His honesty, stubbornness and refusal to give up is what will save Pakistan. He just needs time, Rome was not built in a day, and Rome was never looted for years by Zardari and Sharifs.

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