ISLAMABAD, Oct 31: President General Pervez Musharraf on Sunday reconstituted the National Economic Council (NEC) and The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) with immediate effect under article 156 of the constitution.

The most significant aspects of the reconstitution is that henceforth deputy chief executive and chief secretary of the Northern Areas would be invited to attend all meetings of the Ecnec as part of the government's policy to give representation to the region in the federal decision making process.

The reconstitution of the two bodies was necessitated mainly because of the government's recent decision to divide many ministries to accommodate a large number of parliamentarians of the ruling in the federal cabinet.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will be the chairman of the top two economic decision making bodies. Members of the NEC include Ministers for Commerce, Communications, Education, Environment, Food and Livestock, Health, Housing and Works, Industries, Information, Information Technology, Kashmir Affairs, Labour and Manpower, Local Government, Petroleum, Planning and Development, Population Welfare, Ports and Shipping, Privatisation, Railways, States and Frontier Regions, Science and Technology, Social Welfare and Special Education and Water and Power, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Deputy Chairman Planning Commission.

Four chief ministers, ministers of finance and planning, chairmen of planning boards or additional chief secretaries would represent the provinces in the NEC. Governor NWFP would represent Fata in the NEC.

The prime minister and the ministers of finance and planning and additional chief secretary of Azad Kashmir, governor State Bank of Pakistan, chairmen of Wapda and the National Highway Authority will also attend NEC meetings on special invitations.

The NEC will have the power to appoint committees or bodies of experts, officials and technocrats and associate with its deliberations and meetings to assist the council in the performance of its functions.

The Ecnec will have a smaller representation compared to the NEC. Headed by the prime minister, its members will include Ministers of Commerce, Communications, Education, Environment, Food and Livestock, Housing, Industries, Information Technology, Local Government, Labour and Manpower, Petroleum, Planning and Development (when appointed), Ports and Shipping, Privatisation, Railways, Water and Power and Deputy Chairman Planning Commission.

The Prime Minister of the AJK, ministers for planning and finance, additional chief secretaries of the AJK and provinces, governor NWFP, federal secretaries, governor SBP, chairmen of Wapda and the NHA will attend Ecnec meetings on special invitations.