Daily Times

The Upper House of parliament on Tuesday witness ruckus and noisy session, in which Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Mian Raza Rabbani exchanged harsh words over the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout package.

Speaking in the House, Qureshi asked whether the PPP appointed Abdul Hafeez Shaikh as finance minister on the demand of the IMF. He emphatically stated that there was no threat to the country’s nuclear programme and multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. The foreign minister also dispelled the impression that the country was heading towards “One Unit” or a “presidential system”. He said that announcing the National Finance Commission awards every five years was a constitutional responsibility and the present government, which would be fulfilled.

He, however, regretted that the previous government of the Pakistan Muslim league-Nawaz (PML-N) had failed to fulfill this constitutional requirement in its five-year tenure. He said the president constituted the 9th NFC Award, but despite repeated requests by the former finance minister Asad Umar, the provincial governments – specially Sindh – delayed the process of nominating its representatives for the NFC award. Qureshi said that announcing an NFC award was the government’s responsibility under Article 160 of the constitution, which stated that an NFC award be announced every five years.

He said that a committee formed under former finance minister Ishaq Dar failed to make any progress on the matter.

The foreign minister said the present government was seeking an IMF package because of the damage inflicted to the economy over the last 10 years. “Our friendly countries, including Saudi Arabia, China and the United Arab Emirates, gave the much-needed balance of payment support but the gap is so huge that we have to go to the IMF to secure an economic package.” The minister said that the IMF could not approach governments itself, but countries go to the global lender in their time of need.

“Unfortunately, the economy was completely destroyed in the past 10 years. And the nation knows who is responsible for this destruction,” he said, adding that the country had to once again approach the IMF because of the poor condition that the previous governments had left the economy in.

Responding to comments from the opposition benches, particularly the PPP, the foreign minister said they had taken out the “funeral of the economy” in the past.

He said that the nation knew very well which government knocked on the IMF’s doors and how many times during the past decade.

Qureshi strongly rejected the opposition’s criticism on the appointment of Dr Raza Baqir as the State Bank of Pakistan governor. He said Dr Baqir is the son of Pakistan and he had offered his services for the country while leaving a better remuneration package at the IMF.

The foreign minister made it clear that neither the 18th Constitutional Amendment was being rolled back, nor was presidential system being imposed in the country. About the appointment of Dr Baqir, the minister cautioned others not to distribute “certificates of patriotism”. Defending the appointment, Qureshi said the government had made the selection on merit. He said that Dr Baqir was a son of Pakistan and he was going to serve the country at a minimal salary.

The opposition benches staged walkout from the Senate session protesting over the absence of the interior minister in the House. Senator Azam Khan Swati said that it was the first instance in parliament’s history that despite the federal cabinet in session, several ministers were present in the House to answer questions about their departments. The House will now meet today (Wednesday) at 11am.