HAFEEZ SHAIKH TO CHAIR PRIME MINISTER's TASK FORCE MEETING ON POVERTY ALLEVIATION & EMPLOYMENT GENERATION ON MONDAY
Islamabad, December 20,2003

Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Federal Minister for Privatisation & Investment will chair the second meeting of the "Prime Minister's Task Force on Poverty Alleviation and Employment Generation" constituted by the Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali on Monday December 22, 2003 at Board of Investment Conference Hall. The first meeting of PM Task Force on PAEG was held on December 10, 2003. The Task Force will submit its recommendations to the President and the Prime Minister in the given time.

The Task Force will review the current status of poverty and unemployment in the country, assess the impact of public sector development and related programmes on employment generation and poverty alleviation and the government policies and programmes for poverty alleviation and employment generation through private sector development, to suggest improvement and acceleration in the existing programmes, identify specific new initiatives and recommend implementation strategy.

In addition to the 16 members, the Task Force may co-opt any additional member as and when required. Nine members from public sector include Dr. Nasim Ashraf, Chairman NCHD, Dr. Ishrat Husain, Governor State Bank of Pakistan, Mr. Javed Sadiq Malik, Secretary Planning & Development, Mr. Waqar Masood Khsn, Secretary Economic Affairs Division, Dr. Ashfaq Hasan Khan, Economic Advisor, Finance Division, Dr. A.R. Kamal, Director PIDE, Dr. Nuzhat Ahmad, Director Applied Economic Research Centre, Chairman, Planning & Development, Government of Punjab/ Additional Chief Secretaries, Government of Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan and Mr. Shaukat Hayat Durrani, Additional Secretary (EA), Prime Minster's secretariat. While the seven members from the private sector include Mr. Farid Rehman, Peshawar, Dr. Akmal Hussain Lahore, Dr. Salman Shah Lahore, Mr. Shahid Kardar Lahore, Dr. Mushtaq Mirani, Hyderabad, Ms. Saadiqa Salahuddin Karachi and Malik Naeem Khan from Quetta.