Islamabad, January 9, 2026: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar chaired a high-level meeting on economic reforms, underscoring the historic and central role of the Planning Commission (PC) in Pakistan’s economic and development policymaking.
During the meeting, the deputy prime minister emphasized the need to empower the Planning Commission to drive strategic policymaking, set national priorities and effectively oversee public investment. He said the PC should play a pivotal role in ensuring coherence and long-term direction in economic governance.
Senator Dar was of the view that the Planning Commission should function as the apex body under the direct leadership of the Prime Minister, with an integrated Policy and Planning Wing and a separate Development Wing. He stressed that all major economic decisions must be aligned with the national economic strategy and supported by clear key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure accountability, performance and coordination across the government.
He further emphasized that the Planning Commission should serve as a central clearinghouse for economic decisions, guiding ministries and divisions to maintain policy consistency and effective development planning, while supporting sustainable reforms to strengthen Pakistan’s overall economic governance.
The meeting was attended by the Federal Ministers for Finance, Planning and Special Initiatives, and Climate Change; the Minister of State for Finance and Revenue; Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Bajwa; the Secretary Planning; the National Coordinator of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC); and senior officials from relevant ministries and divisions.
