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Rs 15.00 | Vol XIII No 301 I 8 Pages I Islamabad Edition
FEDERAL, PUNJAB GOVTS REFUTE ABBASI’S ALLEGATION OF RS20B CORRUPTION IN FREE FLOUR SCHEME
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PUNJAB GOVT TERMS CORRUPTION ALLEGATION ‘FALSE AND FABRICATED’
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ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
ORMER Prime Minister and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Sunday claimed that over Rs20 billion corruption has taken place in the free flour distribution campaign bering run by the PML-N led coalition government. However, the Punjab caretaker government on Sunday termed corruption allegations made by PML-N’s Shahid Khaqan Abbasi regarding the free flour distribution programme “false and fabricated”. Abbasi, the PML-N leader and former PM who is part of a group of political mavericks holding a series of nationwide seminars on the current challenges being faced by the country in an effort to develop a consensus on the future course of action required to be taken by all stakeholders to bring Pakistan out of the present mess, had alleged that Rs20 billion was looted during the free floor distribution programme, which was first rolled out in Punjab. At a seminar at Lahore’s Government College University (GCU), the PML-N leader had talked at length about the issues plaguing governance in the country.
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“Whenever there is a problem, the officer is changed but the system remains the same. The officer just fixes a few things. We now identify honest officers. There was a time when we identified dishonest officers,” he said. “Recently, Rs84bn worth of [free] flour was distributed. I am sorry to say that approximately Rs20bn was looted. “Look at it any which way. What has the poor man gotten for whom you spent Rs84bn?” he asked, stating that it was impossible to deliver on promises within the current system of governance and called for it to be “redefined”. “The whole system needs to be changed. It has become so corrupt that it cannot deliver, whether in the Centre or the provinces.” Although the PML-N leader did not single out the Punjab government, provincial Interim Information Minister Amir Mir issued a statement on Sunday and termed Abbasi’s allegations to be “false and fabricated”. He said that the provincial government had provided relief to millions of beneficiaries under the programme. “There wasn’t even an ounce of corruption,” Mir said, adding that those making the claims had damaged their own credibility. The Punjab minister claimed that the free flour distribution programme was the province’s most successful scheme yet under which approximately 30 million people
No change in petrol prices for next fortnight, HSD slashed by Rs5 ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday announced that the price of petrol would remain unchanged at Rs282 per litre for the next fortnight while the price of high-speed diesel was reduced by Rs5 per litre to Rs288. In a video address today, the finance minister announced that the prices of light-diesel oil and kerosene were being reduced by
Rs10 to Rs164.68 and 176.07 per litre, respectively. Dar said the finance ministry had tried its utmost to settle the matter of price changes in the nation’s favour after the recommendation from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority. He said the final price changes were settled after “many rounds” of discussion. On April 15, Dar had announced an increase of Rs10 per litre in the price of petrol. The prices of diesel and light diesel oil had remained un-
changed at Rs293 and Rs174.68 but the price of kerosene was increased by Rs5.78 to Rs186.07. From April 1-15, the daily consumption of petrol in the country was around 20,000 tonnes and that of high-speed diesel was 15,500 tonnes. It is estimated that around Rs8,000 to 10,000 tonnes of highspeed diesel was being smuggled into Pakistan daily, while the demand for Iranian petrol was less due to its slightly lower quality and the overall reduction in petrol demand.
Khar urges PM to avoid ‘US appeasement’, prioritise China in leaked memo ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Pakistan’s internal struggle to balance its relationships with China and the United States has been exposed through a recent leak of a major cache of the latter’s topsecret military intelligence records. The leaked documents are believed to be the most serious US security breach since more than 700,000 documents, videos and diplomatic cables appeared on the WikiLeaks website in 2010. The episode embarrassed the US by revealing its spying on allies, including Pakistan, and the purported military vulnerabilities of Ukraine. This leak, however, did not come to light until it was reported by the New York Times earlier this month even though the documents were posted on a social media website weeks earlier. Among the leaked documents is a memo authored by Hina Rabbani Khar, deputy foreign minister, entitled
“Pakistan’s Difficult Choices,” reported The Washington Post. The document outlined Pakistan’s conundrum in managing its relations with the US, while also maintaining strong ties with China. According to the memo, if Pakistan were to adopt an attitude of appeasement towards the West, particularly the US, it could impede the country’s potential for fully realising the benefits of its relationship with China. The memo suggests that Pakistan can “no longer try to maintain a middle ground between China and the United States,” and must make a strategic decision to prioritise its relationship with Beijing. Another document revealed the prime minister deliberated with an unnamed aide about Pakistan’s stance on the Ukraine conflict during a UN vote on a resolution condemning the violence in Ukraine. According to the intelligence report, the aide advised Shehbaz Sharif that supporting the measure would signify a shift in Pakistan’s position, as it had previously abstained on a similar resolution.
April inflation may soar to historic 38pc ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The government on Saturday said the inflation rate might heat up to 38% in April — which could break the country’s previous highest record. It also admitted that the central bank’s contractionary monetary policy could not tame the inflationary expectations. In the economic outlook for April, the finance ministry said inflation waa expected to remain in the range of 36% to 38%.
The forecast is in line with the market expectations and ground realities. The highest inflation rate in Pakistan was recorded at 37.8% in December 1973. However, it may soon be left behind by the recent inflationary wave that has adversely affected the majority of the country’s population. Last month, the inflation rate was recorded at 35.4%. The report, prepared by the Economic Adviser Wing of the finance ministry, also conceded that the central bank’s policies were not helping either.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 03 “Although the SBP [State Bank of Pakistan] is enacting [a] contractionary monetary policy, inflationary expectations are not settling down,” the report read. The SBP has increased the interest rates to a record 21% in the hope of containing the spiralling inflation, but it instead added a huge fiscal cost in the shape of higher debt servicing. This, in turn, has been fuelling more inflation through borrowings. The finance ministry’s latest report came on the heels of another one, which conceded that it would take time before the inflation rate slows down to affordable levels. For the next fiscal year, the government has projected an average inflation rate of 20%.
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PTI SEEKS NAB PROBE INTO ABBASI'S CLAIM
were provided free flour during the month of Ramazan. Mir highlighted the free flour scheme was jointly funded by both the federal and the provincial government. He lamented that the programme had become a target due to the internal political differences within the PML-N. The provincial caretaker minister urged Abbasi to either apologise or provide evidence to back the allegations. “The caretaker Punjab government believes in transparency and impartiality and can give an account of every penny regarding the flour scheme. Therefore, no one can accuse it of corruption,” Mir said. He said that not even a single penny of corruption has taken place in the scheme, and those who make such allegations only hurt their own reputation. He said that the scheme was the most successful scheme in Punjab’s history, benefitting 30 million deserving people. Both the federal and provincial governments contributed funds for the scheme, and politicising it is totally unjustified, he added. He said that either Abbasi should apologise or provide evidence, as there are no corruption allegations on Punjab government. The government is ready to be held accountable for every penny spent, he concluded. On Saturday night, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb had said that free flour was provided to millions of poor people in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Islamabad with full transparency and honesty during the difficult economic times. Aurangzeb praised the success of this historic scheme, which was made possible through the hard work of administrative officers and officials who worked tirelessly day and night. “The administrative officers and staff worked day and night to make the landmark scheme a success which is commendable,” she tweeted. PTI URGES NAB PROBE INTO ABBASI’S ALLEGATIONS: On the other hand, former information minister and PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry urged the National Accountability Bureau chairman to initiate an investigation into the claims made by Abbasi and hold the Punjab government accountable. WHAT IS FREE FLOUR SCHEME: In March, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced that “the poorest of the poor” would get wheat flour (Atta) for free during Ramazan.
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President returns accountability amendment bill to parliament for ‘reconsideration’ ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
President Dr Arif Alvi has sent back the National Accountability (Amendment) Bill 2023 to parliament for reconsideration observing that the amendments brought earlier in the National Accountability Ordinance 1999 were subjudice before the Supreme Court. The president sent back the piece of legislation, in terms of clause (1) (b) of the Article 75 of the Constitution, President Secretariat Press Wing said in a press release on Sunday. The president said that this aspect of the legislation was neither referred to in the bill nor in the prime minister’s advice. He observed that without considering the implications of a pending matter, further amendments in the National Accountability Ordinance 1999 should be reconsidered. Earlier, the prime minister had sent his advice seeking assent of the president over the said bill. THE BILL: The Nationals Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice on April 10 passed the National Accountability (Amendment) Act, 2023, seeking to remove the legal complications in the transfer of cases from accountability court to relevant forums which do not fall within the jurisdiction of the NAB Ordinance. On April 19, the Senate passed the bill without referring to the standing committee concerned. The bill was moved in the Senate by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar. The bill not only empowered the NAB chairman to transfer graft cases involving corruption of less than Rs500 million to the relevant agency, authority or department, but also close the pending inquiries and investigations where he thinks no case is made out. Under a proviso added to Section 4 of the NAB Ordinance as and when the office of the NAB chairman falls vacant, or when the chairman is absent or unable to perform the functions of his office, due to any action whatsoever, the deputy chairman shall act as the NAB chairman and in absence of deputy chairman, the federal government shall appoint an acting chairman from amongst the senior officers of NAB.