Punjab govt says no to foreign aid

The PML-N government in Punjab held an important cabinet meeting on Monday and announced an “anti-foreign aid” policy designed to gain economic self-reliance, restore sovereignty and stop obedience of foreign powers. The cabinet sent the policy recommendations to PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif for formal approval. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif made the announcement at a press conference after the cabinet’s meeting. Shahbaz, however, shied away from revealing the basic parameters, methodology and mechanism to put the policy into play. With the logo “no aid, but trade”, Shahbaz said that anti-foreign aid policy would set the country free from “foreign slavery”, defy drone attacks and prevent a repeat of the Abbottabad operation in future. He likened the country’s current condition with opium-addicts, saying “we heavily rely on foreign aid and grants”. He said even though it was very tough to give up the chronic habit of begging, just like the quitting of drugs by an addict, he believed that it was high time to break the begging bowl and become self-sufficient. He said a relationship of master and slave could never be named a friendship. “Self-reliance is possible by stamping out corruption, rectifying mismanagement, optimising available resources, cutting expenses and tightening the financial belts,” he said. He said that he was confident that the decision taken by the largest province of Pakistan would prove to be the starting point of a national movement for economic independence, national sovereignty and security of the country.