PPP-PML-N meeting: No significant headway in reform talks
At the latest session the two sides managed to form three sub-groups. However, at this point neither had enough to say on mobilisation of domestic resources in the wake of the financial crunch.
Representatives of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan-Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will now meet again after six days. The PML-N has given a 45-day deadline to fulfil its agenda.
Briefing media after the meeting, the head of the PPP delegation Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh said both sides have agreed to work jointly via sub-committees to control inflation, tackle power and gas outages and ensure transparency in public sector recruitment.
“We have built upon the momentum of the previous meeting. The process will be continued when both sides meet again on January 26,” said Dr Shaikh.
To arrest inflation, the minister said, an understanding was reached to launch joint efforts at the federal and provincial levels.
Along with that the provincial chief secretaries will give briefings on January 24.
Senator Ishaq Dar, the PML-N’s chief delegate, said some progress was made on his party’s 10-point agenda. “An incremental decision methodology has been agreed,” he said. Things that “could be done in two days will be done in two days”, he said.
Dar said workable proposals would be presented on January 26 to introduce a 30 per cent cut in federal government expenditure.
“Synchronised efforts have also been kick-started in Sindh and Punjab,” he added. Dar said the downsizing of the cabinet would be discussed after the Jan 26 meeting.
Referring to the fuel price hike, the finance minister said that the government has agreed to devise a new and more transparent mechanism for price change.
The two parties, he said, have also agreed to form a joint committee to address the issue of electricity and gas outages in Punjab. From the government side, Petroleum Minister Naveed Qamar and Water and Power Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf will participate. Sardar Mehtab Abbasi and Khuram Dastgir Khan will represent the PML-N. This committee will submit its recommendations after January 26.
The new understanding is contrary to an earlier commitment of resolving the issue via the Council of Common Interest.
Both parties also agreed to resolve the issue of loan writeoffs on political grounds through certain measures. In this regard the State Bank will give a briefing on Saturday.
The finance minister said the boards of directors of eight power distribution companies have been finalised, including that of Pakistan Steel Mill. Only the prime minister’s formal approval was now required, he said.
However, the cabinet committee on restructuring could not finalise names for the boards of directors of Pakistan Railways following objections over certain names by the law minister, sources said.
Dar said the government has pledged that the National Assembly speaker will notify the formation of a joint committee by January 26 to take forward the Election Commission reforms. On the issue of accountability, the law minister will present proposals on the same date based on two separate drafts submitted by the two parties, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 21st, 2011.
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