–Officials delay or cancel important meetings in absence of minister
ISLAMABAD: As the Finance Minister Ishaq Dar is out of the country for over two weeks, the ministry is going through an uncertain situation where not only major decisions related to finance are pending but also important scheduled meetings with foreign delegates are being cancelled or delayed.
According to sources at the ministry, in the absence of the minister, the finance secretary is trying to handle the already scheduled meetings, however, without any fruitful outcome since several matters needed Dar’s direct approval.
The sources disclosed that “Ishaq Dar has reportedly directed the ministry’s officials to avoid taking any major decision without his approval.”
They further said that since the officials were directed by the minister to telephone him in London for approvals, the entire affairs of the ministry were disturbed and added that the officials also face a difficult situation when the foreign delegates enquire about holding a meeting with the “absent” finance minister.
This whole fiasco comes at a time when Pakistan is facing many economic challenges. The World Bank, in its report, on Thursday claimed that Pakistan’s macroeconomic conditions have severely worsened and the country was likely to miss all its key targets for the fiscal year 2017-18. Being oblivious to economic alerts, the ministry is almost silent over a number of issues, including increasing trade deficit, challenges of balance of payment, options of devaluing rupee and going for more foreign loans, issuance of new bonds to help reserves etc.
“Even Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is helpless in the face of crisis at the ministry, as Dar enjoys the post as long as the party leader and deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif wishes him as a minister,” sources said, adding, “it seems Nawaz Sharif is in a fix for his family ties with the finance minister.”
Insiders claim that Prime Minister Abbasi wants Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Investment Miftah Ismail to look into affairs of the finance ministry, but avoids doing so fearing he could annoy the Sharifs and Dar. The prime minister is in a fix too as he knows that Dar may prolong his stay in London medical grounds; moreover, Dar also refused to meet the PM when he went to visit him.
However, in absence of the finance minister, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Revenue Haroon Akhtar has increased his involvement in the affairs of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). He has been holding meetings with trade leaders and delegates to handle the issues related to taxes and revenue.
Dar who left the country in last week of October to attend 6th CAREC Ministerial Conference in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, had gone to London via Saudi Arabia where checked in a hospital for treatment, and subsequently underwent angiography. Ishaq Dar was reportedly advised by doctors to extend his stay in London and get treatment on a priority basis.
Ishaq Dar’s lawyer had told the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) court that the minister was in London for treatment of his heart problem, hence unable to appear before the court in a NAB reference filed against him.
An accountability court (AC) of Islamabad on Wednesday dismissed a plea of Ishaq Dar seeking his exemption from personal appearance and conduct trial through a representative in a reference regarding assets beyond known sources of income.
The court also maintained bailable arrest warrants against him and rejected the NAB request seeking non-bailable arrest warrants for Finance Minister for his non-appearance.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Friday asked several provincial and federal government departments to strictly comply with its order to freeze Dar’s assets, ensuring status quo on the ownership of the assets. The Supreme Court, in its Panama Papers case verdict on July 28, had ordered NAB to file a reference against Dar after he was named in the joint investigation team (JIT).
[…] Source: Google News […]
Comments are closed.