Govt wants Shehbaz quit as PAC chief

Fawad Chaudhry says PAC chief trying to save lawmakers facing NAB investigations

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Thursday expressed concerns over the conduct of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Shehbaz Sharif, Information minister Fawad Chaudhry said, demanding his resignation from the post on moral grounds.

Briefing the media after a cabinet meeting, Chaudhry said that some opposition politicians such as Raza Rabbani of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Mushahid Ullah Khan of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) would soon be evicted from the government houses in the Ministers' Enclave.

The cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, deliberated on an extensive agenda, ranging from the accountability process to the government housings, to health cards scheme, the prices of essential commodities as well as the items of daily use.

"The cabinet was concerned over [Shehbaz] Sharif's conduct as chairman of the PAC," Chaudhry said. "The cabinet is under the impression that the PAC chairman is trying to 'save' certain elected representatives who are being investigated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB)," he added.

"Sharif should resign as the PAC chairman on moral grounds," the minister told the reporters. He stressed that the accountability watchdog should work "effectively and transparently" and said that the government wanted to strengthen it.

"The PTI believes that NAB's power should be increased and the institution should be more independent and transparent, so that its working could become more effective," he said. He ruled out any concession to corrupt politicians facing accountability cases.

The information minister said that the "three important institutions" -- the judiciary, the army and the government --are working independently under a "remarkable relationship" which would continue in the future. Responding to question, the minister said that the arrest of senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Aleem Khan by NAB was not discussed in the cabinet meeting.

Chaudhry went on to say that some opposition politicians and party leaders, who were not entitled to government housing anymore, were still occupying houses in the Ministers' Enclave. "They will soon be evicted on the prime minister's orders, he said.

During the meeting, Chaudhry said, the statistics division gave a presentation on the prices of commodities. He added that the price hike in the first six months of the present government was less than the same period under the previous Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government.

"The cabinet was informed that during the first six months of Nawaz Sharif government the prices of daily use commodities registered a 6.5% increase, whereas in the first six months of the PTI government only 1.4% increase is witnessed," he said.

"During the past few months prices of vegetables and pulses had fallen, while the prices of petroleum products had also shown a downward trend," he added. "The prices of chicken, garlic, onion, potatoes and lentils have gone down significantly."

However, the minister admitted that bus fares and power tariffs had seen a rise. "A committee, led by Defence Minister Pervez Khattak has been constituted to monitor prices," he said, adding that the committee would develop a system for stabilisation of prices and check profiteering.

Chaudhry said that a mobile phone application would also be developed to provide an opportunity to the consumers to know the prices of essential commodities in the country. He added that an external audit would be undertaken regarding the increase in gas prices.

The federal cabinet has also decided to revise the slab system for gas prices. "We are importing expensive gas and providing it to the consumers on subsidised rates," he said. "We raised the gas prices keeping in view that it does not affect the 70% population of the country."

Kartarpur corridor

Chaudhry said that the cabinet constituted a committee headed by Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar to monitor development works in Kartarpur and Nankana Sahib, where the Sikh community members wanted to build hotels and other projects.

During the meeting, Chaudhry said, the prime minister hailed that overseas Pakistanis as an asset of the nation, who remitted billions of rupees to their homeland. "The dual nationals also have the expertise in various fields which can be beneficial for the country," he said.

The government, he continued, would utilise the expertise of the overseas Pakistanis in different fields for the benefit of the country, he said, adding however, the law ministry would prepare a list of areas, where they would not be appointed.

In a previous cabinet meeting, the minister recalled, it had been decided that all buildings in the capital should be made accessible for disabled persons. He said that Prime Minister Khan has asked the Capital Development Authority (CDA) if these orders were being followed.

"The buildings which are not accessible to the disabled persons should be fined," the minister said. He appealed to people to make use of the Pakistan Citizens' Portal to inform the government which buildings were not compliant so that action can be taken against them.

The minister announced that the human rights ministry would introduce a bill to provide facilities to the senior citizens. With regards to the recently-launched Sehat Insaf Card scheme, Chaudhry said that in the next stage artists and journalists would be included in the scheme.

According to the minister, the prime minister directed for speeding up the process of development in the tribal areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The cabinet agreed that the provincial chief minister would oversee the entire process.

"Discussions on Fata [Federally Administered Tribal Areas] were also held during the cabinet meetings", Chaudhry told the media. "We had previously announced of restoring mobile services to Fata. Soon the people in the region will be able to access the mobile and data service," he added.

Chaudhary also announced that the government had prepared a poverty alleviation programme, headed by Dr Sania Nishtar, under which all institutions such as the Pakistan Baitul Maal would be brought under one umbrella.

Chaudhary said that the world capitals, including the European countries, were changing their travel advisories towards Pakistan. He expressed the confidence that this would help promote tourism in the country.

"Portugal and France have already changed [their] travel advisories for Pakistan and it is hoped that in future other European countries will also ease their travel advisories," the information minister said in response to a question.