Abdul Wajid Rana and Dr Ashfaque Hasan Khan are the two strongest candidates for the position of deputy chairman Planning Commission, high level sources told this correspondent. Minister of State Khusro Bakhtiar had held the charge of Deputy Chairman Planning Commission in addition to Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms.
The Prime Minister has the authority to appoint any individual as deputy chairman Planning Commission without a summary being initiated by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms. Sources further revealed that Abdul Wajid Rana is the favourite for the position of slot after having an hour-long meeting with Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar on Friday.
Rumours at the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms had it Abdul Wajid Rana is the choice of Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Economic Affairs Abdul Hafeez Shaikh. The federal cabinet approved rules of business to bring functions and powers of deputy chairman Planning Commission. Changes have been made in this regard.
Abdul Wajid Rana, a retired bureaucrat, worked at different key positions during his career. He served as program leader of the Pakistan Strategy Support Programme in Islamabad. An officer of Pakistan Administ-rative Service he has 37-year experience in public policy, economics and financial policy, governance, institutional development, International Financial Institutions, change management, project management, policy reforms and development issues.
He was also appointed as Alternate Governor of Intern-ational Monetary Fund, the World Bank, Asian Devel-opment Bank, International Finance Corporation and Executive Director of Islamic Development Bank. Rana also served as chairman Policy Board, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan and remains a director of various Boards, including State Bank of Pakistan, Pakistan International Airlines, Pakistan Telecommunications Corporation Ltd, Pakistan-China Joint Investment Company, Pakistan National Shipping Corporation and Member Fiscal and Monetary Coordination Board.
Dr Ashfaque Hasan Khan is currently the dean of School of Social Sciences and Humanities, National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Islamabad as well as a member of the Economic Advisory Council of the Government of Pakistan. He was recently elected as member of the Board of Trustees of the International Islamic University, Islamabad.
He held various posts, including Special Secretary Finance/ Director General, Debt Office, Economic Adviser Ministry of Finance and spokesperson of the government on economic issues for eleven years during 1998-2009. He was director and vice chairman of the Saudi-Pak Industrial and Agricultural Investment Company Ltd (a joint venture of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan); and director of the United Bank Limited (representing government shares in the Bank) and Pak-Libya Holding Company (a Joint venture of Pakistan and Libya).
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