Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has removed Investment Minister Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh from the Cabinet Committee on Regulatory Reforms and appointed the federal commerce minister as its new chairman.

According to a Cabinet Division notification, Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh has been removed as chairman and dropped from the committee’s membership.

Haroon Akhtar Khan, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production, will serve as co-chairman. The Federal Minister for Information Technology and the Minister of State for Finance and Railways have also been included in the reconstituted committee.

The Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) Division will serve as the committee’s secretariat.

The committee will oversee regulatory reforms aimed at simplifying business procedures and improving Pakistan’s investment environment under the Ease of Doing Business initiative.

Its responsibilities include approving regulatory changes under the Ease of Doing Business Act and reviewing Board of Investment proposals to abolish or amend existing laws, regulations and licensing requirements.

The committee will forward its recommendations to the federal cabinet for ratification. It will also make policy decisions on regulatory reforms, monitor progress and ensure the timely implementation of approved measures.

The committee will also oversee the timely establishment and operation of a legal registry as part of the reform process.

The changes are intended to speed up regulatory reforms, reduce procedural hurdles for businesses and encourage investment in Pakistan.