Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Panama leaks have benefited many, especially the allies of the government and parliamentarians of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is generously approving funds for development projects in their constituencies, government sources told Daily Times.

Sources said the prime minister approved Rs 200 million for development in the constituency of Ijaz-ul-Haq, head of the Pakistan Muslim League-Zia, at meeting of the allied parties a few days ago. Similarly, the prime minister approved a development package of more than Rs 1 billion for development in Bannu, Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan to please coalition partner Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) of Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman. Of this amount, Rs 370 million would be spent on gas schemes in Bannu and the remaining amount would be spent on development schemes in Dera Ismail Khan and Kohat.

Rehman is master of making the maximum out of such situations. The JUI-F would arrange public meetings in Dera Ismail Khan and Kohat as a goodwill gesture and the prime minister would address these meetings, the sources said.

The JUI-F chief assured the prime minister that it would topple the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) whenever he would ask him to do so. The prime minister told the JUI-F chief that he would let him know if the need for such a step arises.

Now three years after his party rose to power, the prime minister has started meeting the members of the National Assembly associated with his party and assured them that all development needs of their constituencies would be met. Some members of the National Assembly were luckier, as they managed to get more development funds for their constituencies, the sources said.

The sources said that Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had announced Rs 20 million in the last budget for development work in the constituency of each member of the parliament, but this amount was not released. Now these funds are being released to the lawmakers.

“Yes, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was kind enough to approve Rs 200 million for development work in my constituency,” one of the members of the ruling party told Daily Times.

“I requested a meeting with the prime minister two years ago, but failed to meet him. I continued to send my request after short intervals through Special Assistant to Prime Minister Asif Kirmani. A few days ago, I received a call from Kirmani that the prime minister wants to see me so I was lucky enough to meet him. When I informed him about the problems of my constituency, the prime minister accepted all my demands and this was a surprise for me,” another MNA from Sheikhupura told this correspondent.

Sources said that these MNAs had been directed to arrange public meetings in their areas and the prime minister would address these meetings and inaugurate development schemes.

The prime minister is also giving importance to his party’s senior leaders nowadays. He met Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Leader of the House in the Senate Raja Zafar-ul-Haq and disgruntled party leader Pir Sabir Shah over the last few days, sources said.

The prime minister had a telephone conversation with Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali Khan and enquired about his health. The phone call to Khan was in fact an attempt to win ANP’s support in the wake of Panama leaks. At a recent meeting of the opposition parties, the ANP did not support the demand for Sharif’s resignation after the Panama Papers linked him to offshore companies.