Profit COALITION GOVT STEERED COUNTRY OUT OF ECONOMIC CRISIS DESPITE ALL ODDS: PM In partnership with
Rs 15.00 | Vol XIV No 26 I 8 Pages I Islamabad Edition
Wednesday, 26 July, 2023 I 7 Muharram, 1445
Vows to break ‘begging bowl’ by curtailing government expenses
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RIME Minister Muhammad Shehabaz Sharif on Tuesday said that the coalition government resolved the economic crisis and put the country on track during past 16 months in the face multifaceted challenges like devastating flood hit the country soon after he took charge of the office. “The country has emerged out of the current economic crisis”, Prime Minister Shehbaz Shehbaz Sharif asserted while speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of eight development projects in Dera Ismail Khan here on Tuesday. PM Shehbaz vowed to break the “begging bowl” by curtailing government expenses, reported state media. Lashing out at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief and former prime minister Imran Khan, Shehbaz said that the former premier exploited the economic situation he himself had created to gain political mileage. The prime minister emphasized that devastating floods hit the country soon after his government took office amid growing inflation and an unrelenting political crises. Yet, the
coalition government managed to steer the country out of the economic crisis, he said. “We faced devastating floods on one side, and inflation, pressure by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and a political crisis on the other. Such challenging problems have never been faced by me in my whole life,” he said. Shehbaz said that all the coalition parties had unanimously decided to ensure economic stability at all costs, including their politics. Such resolve on their part helped the government bring the country out of crisis, he said, adding that there was record wheat production as compared to the previous decade, which saved the country billions of dollars. The prime minister claimed that political opponents had wished for the country to default but such hopes were thwarted by the incumbent government. Had former regimes fully utilised the country’s rich resources such as hydropower, the country might have had affordable and clean energy, said Shehbaz, stressing the overhaul of a faulty power transmission system that causes losses worth more than Rs400 billion to the national exchequer. Vowing to break the pattern of borrowing, Shehbaz said that a com-
Bilawal, Blinken discuss regional security, bilateral ties ISLAMABAD
prehensive plan of Pakistan Green Initiative has been undertaken to take the country to new heights of development and prosperity. Meanwhile, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who was present on the occasion, thanked the prime minister for his personal interest in ensuring the development of the area. Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had laid the foundation for many mega projects, which the PTI government seized hampering economic development, claimed Fazl. He claimed that industrial estates being established in Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan would change the fate of the people in the area. Energy Minister Khurram Dastgir was full of praises for the premier as well. He said that development projects, which were suspended between 2018 to 2022, were now being completed on priority. Due to the PM’s personal intervention, 5,000MW of electricity was added to the national grid in just 16 months, said Dastgir. The transmission line in Thar was completed in a few months and work on three new grid stations of Rs2 billion in Dera Ismail Khan was initiated by the current government, he added. Similarly, Minister of State for Communications Asad
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Performs groundbreaking of eight projects along with Maulana Fazl, other ministers
Mehmood said that the coalition government is committed towards creating a link road between Gwadar Port and other Central Asian countries under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He said the projects inaugurated by Nawaz are being restored and completed in various areas, espe-
Parliament’s joint session defers election amendments bill after objections ISLAMABAD
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Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Bilawal Bhutto Zardari received a telephone call from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during which they discussed the regional security situation, cooperation for lasting peace in Afghanistan, and bilateral trade and economic cooperation. Both sides expressed satisfaction at the current positive momentum in Pak-US ties during telephonic conversation, a statement issued by the foreign office spokesperson said on Tuesday. Foreign Minister Bilawal underscored that Pakistan valued its longstanding and broad-based relationship with the US and wished to further deepen the partnership. He noted that during the past one year, apart from holding six Dialogues, exchange of high-level visits had diversified and solidified the relationship. The foreign minister underlined the priority attached to economic and trade relations and Pakistan’s particular interest in advancing cooperation on climate change and green energy. Thanking the US for its support, Bilawal said that the Standby Arrangement between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would provide impetus to Pakistan’s economic and development imperatives and that Pakistan was committed to bringing structural reforms in its economy to make it more competitive and attractive for business and foreign investment. The two Foreign Ministers underlined the importance of constructive engagement between Pakistan and the United States for promoting peace, security and development in the region. They also discussed the regional security situation, including the threat from terrorism, and reaffirmed their desire to continue close cooperation for lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan. The foreign minister noted the importance of the Black Sea Grain Initiative especially from the perspective of developing countries and concerns regarding food security and inflation, and stressed the need for continued concerted efforts with a view to reviving the deal at the earliest. Secretary Blinken stressed that democratic principles and respect for the rule of law are central to the US-Pakistan relationship and these values will continue to guide this partnership forward.
The Joint Session of the Parliament on Tuesday deferred the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2023, following objections raised by lawmakers during discussions on the proposed amendments. Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Senator Syed Ali Zafar and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) senators Mian Raza Rabbani and Taj Haider expressed concerns over the amendments proposed in section 230-(a) of the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which pertained to the functions of the caretaker government. However, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar clarified various points raised by the lawmakers and said that every amendment in the bill was discussed in the parliamentary committee. The objections prompted National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf, presiding over the session, to direct the deferral of eight bills, including the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2023, to allow lawmakers more time for consideration of the proposed changes. According to section 129, sub-section 1 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, members can propose amendments to a bill when a motion is carried for a bill to be taken into consideration. If notice of an amendment has not been given at least one day before the relevant clause or schedule of the bill is to be considered, any member may object to the moving of the amendment.
In such cases, the objection prevails unless the Speaker allows the amendment to be moved. The deferred bills included the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2023; the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023; the Exit from Pakistan (Control) (Amendment) Bill, 2023; the Maintenance and Welfare of Old Parents and Senior Citizens Bill, 2023; the Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2023; the Banking Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2023; the International Institute of Technology, Culture and Health Sciences Bill, 2023 and the Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2023. Apart from deferring the eight others until the next session, the joint sitting also passed three government bills, including the Qanun-e-Shahadat (Amendment) Bill, 2023; the Control of Narcotics Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Petroleum (Amendment) Bill, 2023. During the session, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar emphasised the importance of enhancing procedures and ensuring that culprits face the full consequences of their actions when discussing the Control of Narcotics Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which was one of the three bills passed by the Parliament. The government also withdrew the Protection of Parents Bill, 2023, citing that an identical bill introduced by private lawmaker Rana Maqbool Ahmad fulfilled the government’s objectives. The joint sitting was adjourned until 12:30 pm on July 26 (Wednesday) for further discussions and consideration of the deferred bills.
Why does choice of FBR chairman matter for Pakistan?
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Whenever chief of revenue body retires, infighting starts between Customs, Inland revenue service officers to capture the post ANALYSIS Shahzad Paracha
Pakistan is again at the crossroads. The federal government once again faces the dilemma to choose an appropriate person for the slot of FBR chairman after the retirement of the current incumbent of office on July 30 this year. Unlike choices made by the federal government for the slots of federal secretaries, the government’s choice for the post of FBR chairman involves more organizational politics and more damage
cially in the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). A sufficient supply of energy at an affordable price is being ensured, said Minister of State for Petroleum Dr Musadik Malik. In the past year, around 270 mmcf gas worth over $1 billion was discovered from various areas of the
to the state in case the government happens to make a wrong choice. Whenever a chairman of the country’s premier revenue body retires or is dismissed or removed, an infighting intensifies between the Custom service and Inland revenue service officers to capture the post. At times, the government prefers to choose a man from the Pakistan Administrative Service or private sector to head the revenue body. These choices matter a lot for Pakistan and its struggling economy. When choosing a person to head FBR, the decision makers must know be-
forehand what qualities the job demands and which persons possess those qualities regardless of their service groups. It is pertinent here to delve into empirical evidence to gauge the consequences of choosing a chairman for FBR from Inland revenue service, Pakistan custom service, Pakistan administrative service or the private sector. The tenure of Mohammad Asim, the current incumbent of the office of chairman FBR and an Inland revenue service officer, amply illustrates that choosing an IRS man to head FBR has far reaching and devastating consequences for Pakistan’s economy. Under
an IRS chairman, the customs part of FBR where typical mega frauds recur with regular periodicity becomes largely an autonomous and unaccountable body for two reasons. The IRS chairman, largely unaware of the custom laws and procedures and least interested to learn the dynamics of custom matters at his stage of service, practically frees the member custom operations from his monitoring and oversight. The member custom in turn finds himself accountable to none. This de facto sovereignty of action as well as inaction conferred by default on any member custom operations by an IRS chairman has prompted and promoted in the custom department massive and large-scale maladministration and some of the most daring mega scams which caused revenue losses worth hundreds of billions of rupees. The recent customs scam at Karachi perpetrated by the senior officers of the level custom collectors is a case in point.
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country, he said. Of which 138 mmcf has already been injected to the system while the rest would be included soon, he added. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali, the National Assembly deputy speaker, provincial ministers and government officials were also present on the occasion.
Khawaja Asif draws ire after calling PTI’s women parliamentarians ‘garbage’
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Women parliamentarians from the opposition PTI protested in a joint session of Parliament on Tuesday after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif used sexist and derogatory remarks while referring to them — in yet another instance of using offensive language for women politicians. He made the remarks in response to criticism by parliamentarians — including PTI Senator Ali Zafar — of the manner of legislation in Parliament and the “bulldozing” of bills. In his address, Asif made a reference to former prime minister Imran Khan, recalling the bulldozing of legislation and the dissolution of the National Assembly during his tenure. “Depraved women should not lecture on chastity,” he said, following which a woman was heard responding to him in the live broadcast on the session. To that, Asif said if he says anything else, they would use the “woman card. “They will say, ’We are women and how he is talking about us.” At this point, laughter was heard in the House. Asif then went on to call the women parliamentarians the “remains and ruins” of Imran, pointing towards the benches where PTI members were seated, including Senators Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur, Sania Nishtar, Falak Naz Chitrali and Fawzia Arshad. “This is the garbage left behind by the PTI chief, which has to be cleared”, he added. This drew a strong reaction from the PTI women parliamentarians who stood up from their seats and demanded that Asif take his words back. Amid loud protest from them, the defence minister continued with his address, saying, “He (Imran) doesn’t have the courage to appear in courts today … And they defend him. How brave and courageous will be a person who is defended by women?” Speaking after Asif, Senator Taimur said only one’s moral character and conduct differentiated people. “I was worried at the language being used by such senior political figures, I’ve never heard such words in my house.” She said it was “sad” to note that fellow MNAs had used words such as “garbage and barking”. “We don’t respect someone else when we don’t consider our own self to be respectable,” Taimur added. For his part, the NA speaker called for order in the House and the word “garbage” was expunged from Asif’s speech. There was no strong condemnation of the remarks during the session from any of the members apart from those belonging to the PTI. Notably, PPP’s Sherry Rehman was sitting just a row behind Asif and remained busy conversing with Commerce Minister Naveed Qamar for the most part and laughed at one point. However, it was not clear whether she was laughing at Asif’s remarks. Making this observation, PTI’s Farrukh Habib questioned why Rehman and other women MNAs from the treasury benches stayed silent at Asif’s remarks. He also called out Asif for repeatedly being offensive towards women.
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