ISLAMABAD: The federal government has formally appointed Haroon Akhtar as the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Industries and Production, granting him the status of a federal minister.
The Cabinet Division has issued an official notification regarding his appointment, which was made by the President of Pakistan. Haroon Akhtar will assume his responsibilities immediately and will retain the portfolio of Industries and Production as Prime Minister’s Adviser.
Haroon Akhtar has an extensive record in business, public service and economic affairs. He has been elected as a senator twice and has also served as a member of the Punjab Assembly on two occasions.
He holds a Master of Science degree in Actuarial Science and Business Administration from the University of Manitoba in Canada. He is also a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries of the United States and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries. At the time he obtained his professional qualification, he became the youngest actuary in the history of the actuarial profession.
Before returning to Pakistan, Haroon Akhtar gained extensive professional experience in the United States and Canada in areas including corporate governance, economics, planning and forecasting, modelling and investment.
From 2015 to 2018, he served as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Revenue with the status of a federal minister. Earlier, from 2006 to 2012, he served as a senator and was a senior member of several parliamentary standing committees.
During his tenure in the Senate, he worked on committees dealing with finance, economic affairs, revenue, statistics, planning and development, commerce, industries and production, petroleum, natural resources and minerals, as well as sports, culture and tourism.
His professional engagement with the business community and industrial leaders spans more than three decades. This experience, according to the government, has provided him with broad exposure to economic policy, business, industry and public-sector affairs.
Throughout his career, Haroon Akhtar has also played a role in strengthening business-to-business and business-to-government relationships. He has worked to bring investors, industrialists and regulatory authorities together on common platforms to facilitate communication and cooperation.
His supporters say these efforts contributed to strengthening investor confidence, promoting industrial partnerships and expanding opportunities for industrial development in Pakistan.
As Adviser on Industries and Production, Haroon Akhtar is expected to bring his experience in business, economics, investment and public policy to the federal government’s industrial agenda. His appointment comes at a time when the government is seeking to strengthen industrial activity, encourage investment and improve coordination between the public sector and the business community.
The notification means that Haroon Akhtar will immediately begin performing his responsibilities as Prime Minister’s Adviser while enjoying the status and privileges of a federal minister.
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