Daily Times

In a first, the country’s foreign minister replaced the finance minister in the Council of Common Interests (CCI) on Friday after President Asif Ali Zardari, on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, signed off on the reconstitution of the vital body. The premier will head the eight-member body. The CCI comprises the four chief ministers of the provinces, the finance minister who has now been replaced by the foreign minister, the defence minister and the minister for frontier regions (SAFRON). Last week on March 23, PM Shehbaz reshuffled key positions within the cabinet, depriving the finance minister of chairmanships in two pivotal committees while carving out a major role for FM Ishaq Dar in financial matters. The premier had reconstituted four cabinet committees. Out of these, Aurangzeb was appointed as the chairman of only one committee – a departure from past practices where finance ministers typically chaired three out of the four committees.