All hail the economic expert; PM drops British economist for Ishaq Dar

In a major plot twist, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, “unimpressed” with British economist Stefan Dercon’s work on a new economic agenda, has delegated the responsibility of developing the new agenda to PML-N’s all-weather economic tsar, Ishaq Dar.

Previously, the PM sought the British economist’s expertise overseeing the government’s new economic agenda for the next five years.

It was reported that the PM would announce the agenda on August 14, Pakistan’s Independence Day; however, this wasn’t the case.

According to a notification, the premier has constituted a seven-member ministerial committee, chaired by Dar, to review the draft of the Dercon Plan.

Interestingly, Shehbaz Sharif came under intense criticism from experts for his decision to hire a foreign economist.

Express Tribune reported that the Deron plan essentially reiterated ideas already known to the public and experts.

“There is nothing new or extraordinary in Stefan Dercon’s plan,” a senior cabinet member remarked.

Ishaq Dar is currently heading nearly two dozen committees, mainly dealing with economic issues and managing relations with political allies.