In a first, foreign minister replaces finmin in CCI

ISLAMABAD: The foreign minister has replaced finance minister in the Council of Common Interests (CCI) for the first time in country’s history as Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif approved reconstitution of the body, ARY News reported on Friday.

According to a notification from the CCI Secretariat – a copy of which is available with ARY News, President Asif Ali Zardari – on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif – signed off on the reconstitution of the vital body.

The newly constituted council includes the premier, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Minister of States and Frontier Regions Amir Muqam, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti.

PM Shehbaz Sharif will head the eight-member Council of Common Interests (CCI).

Notably, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb is excluded from the largest decision-making forum.

As per the Constitution, the CCI is responsible for formulating and regulating policies in relation to matters included in the federal legislative list and exercising supervision and control over related institutions.

“The council shall be constituted within thirty days of the prime minister taking oath of the office,” it states, adding that the CCI should at least meet once in 90 days.

As per Article 153 of the Constitution, the CCI members include the prime minister, four provincial chiefs and three federal ministers to be nominated by the premier.

This was the second time PM Shehbaz snubbed the finance minister and given a task to Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

Muhammad Aurangzeb was also initially excluded from the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) last week before PM Shehbaz decided to hand over the committee’s chairmanship to Aurangzeb.

The prime minister had reconstituted four cabinet committees. Out of these, Aurangzeb was appointed as the chairman of only one committee. Traditionally these committees have been headed by the finance minister.