Renowned economist Dr Salman Shah has been appointed as the new adviser to the Punjab chief minister on economic affairs and planning. The Punjab government issued a notification to this effect on Wednesday, while CM Sardar Usman Buzdar asked Salman Shah to assume his new office without delay. This development comes ahead of the budget for the fiscal year 2019-20. Salman Shah has previously served as an adviser to then prime minister Shaukat Aziz during the regime of former military dictator Pervez Musharraf. According to reports, one of the five advisers to the Punjab chief minister resigned on May 14 to make room for Dr Salman Shah in the provincial cabinet. Akram Chaudhry stepped down after the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf asked the five advisers if anyone of them would voluntarily resign so that an economist could be inducted in the provincial cabinet to look after Punjab’s financial affairs. The chief minister can have only five advisers as per the Supreme Court’s verdict.