The federal government reconstituted the CPEC Business Council and made Adviser to the PM on Trade Abdul Razak Dawood as its chairman, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Lt-Gen (retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa – who is the chairman of the CPEC Authority – has been appointed as its member, while Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar is no more part of the CPEC Business Council.

Meanwhile, the planning and development secretary, the Board of Investment (BOI) secretary and DG as well as the CPEC project director are also removed from the CPEC Business Council.

The restructured council will now comprise 15 members – three from government and 12 from private sector.

According to the notification, the BOI chairman is now a member of the CPEC Business Council. The private members are: HBL Chairman Sultan Ali Allana, Fatima Group CEO Fawad Mukhtar, Lucky Cement CEO Muhammad Ali, Pakistan Services Limited CEO Murtaza Hashwani, Interloop Chairman Musaddaq Zulqarnain, Systems Limited CEO Asif Pir, Daewoo Pakistan Express CEO Shehryar Chishti, Haier and Ruba CEO Faisal Afridi, Get Pharma MD Khalid Mehmood, International Industries Limited CEO Riaz T Chinoy, FPCCI president and Pakistan Chemical Manufacturers Association chairman.

The CPEC Business Council will act as advisory forum between the government and the private sector, present suggestions or projects and find new models and opportunities.