ISLAMABAD: The government has reconstituted a 31-member advisory committee of the Planning Commission comprising representatives of the private sector and academia to guide the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives in policy formulation to cope with the dire economic challenges.

Led by Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, members of the committee consist of government officials, parliamentarians, economic experts, businessmen and educationists from home and abroad.

A similar 28-member advisory committee was also formed in October 2013. Its contribution to policy formulation and implementation of those policy advices was never made public.

An official statement said the committee would work as a strategic think tank on policy issues to promote public and private interface and develop a participatory approach in the decision-making. “It will help to generate and build consensus on policies and strategies of the Planning Commission,” the statement said.

Representatives of private sector and academics part of new committee

The body would also be required to provide input and get feedback from non-government stakeholders to improve the policies and performance of the planning ministry.

Secretary of Planning Syed Zafar Ali Shah, Chairman of Senate Standing Committee on Planning Commission Saleem Mandviwalla and Chairman of Standing Committee of National Assembly on Planning Khalid Magsi will be part of the group.

Other members of the committee included President of Qaiser LG Petrochemical Qaiser Sheikh, President of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, President of Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) Ghias Khan, Arif Habib of Arif Habib Corporation, ex-chairman of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry Almas Hyder, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ferozon Labs Khalid Osman Waheed, CEO of Sayyed Engineers Ltd Savail Hussain, and Chairman of Dawood Hercules Corporation Ltd Inamur Rehman.

Likewise, Executive Director of Akhuwat Dr Amjad Saqib, Chief Knowledge Officer of R&D Solutions Dr Adnan Khan, Chairman of Daweoo Shehryar Chisti, ex-chairman of Pakistan Engineering Council Javed Qureshi and CEO of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Sameda) Hashim Raza are also part of the panel.

Among academics, the members include Vice Chancellor of University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Dr Rana Iqrar; Managing Partner at Jurisconsultants.org, Pakistan Barrister Zafarrullah; Chairman of Higher Education Commission (HEC) Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, Pro Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University UK Dr Kamal Munir; Head of Program Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Dr Aamer Irshad; ex- member of Agriculture, Planning Commission Dr Azeem; Dr Zakeer Abbasi, the visiting professor at the National Defence University and National University of Modern Languages; Senior Executive Vice President of Pak Kuwait Investment Company Naveed Sherwani; Chairman of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association Asif Munir; Director of Applied Economics Research Centre (AERC) Dr Samina Khalil; Prof of Economic at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) Dr Syed Zahid Ali; Professor of Economics at Habib University Dr Aqdas Afzal; and Chairman of Pakistan Software Houses Association (Pasha) Zohaib Khan.

However, federal secretaries of various ministries and divisions will be invited in the meetings on special invitations when required. The meeting of the committee will be held once in each quarter to review the progress.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2023