Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan (SAPM) on Finance and Revenue Abdul Hafeez Shaikh was removed on Wednesday from the National Finance Commission( NFC).

During the hearing today, a notification was submitted to the Islamabad High Court. Attorney-General (AG) Khalid Jawed Khan said that as per the notification, Shaikh's appointment to the commission, which had been challenged in court, has now been withdrawn.

Pakistan Muslim League -Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha argued that the NFC had been formed without consulting them. The AG told the court that even he has issues with the last NFC notification.

The PML-N had challenged the appointment of SAPM to chair the NFC as the finance adviser. The petition argued that the country’s finance minister chairs the NFC. The petition said that nowhere in the constitution was it stated that the prime minister's adviser on finance could be the convener of the NFC.

The government on May 12 formed the 10th NFC award. President Arif Alvi had authorised Shaikh to chair the NFC meetings in the absence of the federal finance minister.