Punjab to loosen purse strings for MPAs
Buzdar administration doles out development funds for PTI lawmakers and coalition partners
Punjab CM Usman Buzdar (PHOTO: FILE)
LAHORE:
At a time when the Punjab government is begging for financial assistance from the centre, Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has decided to dish out development funds for lawmakers from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its coalition partners.
The development funds, according to one official, will be used by PTI lawmakers and coalition MPs in their respective constituencies.
The finance department, the official said, has received direct orders from the chief minister to release the funds to ruling PTI legislators and its coalition partners in the province, which includes the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q). “The chief minister plans cut to the Khushal Pakistan Programme to provide funds for the provincial legislator,” said one official who was speaking on the condition of anonymity.
The coalition government in Punjab, the most populous province, was formed after the PTI and PML-Q joined hands in 2018. According to officials familiar with the details, members of the coalition -- primarily the PML-Q ramped up the pressure for the funds. The chief minister made the final decision after a meeting with the Speaker of the Provincial Assembly, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, and PML-Q MNA Chaudhry Moonis Elahi.
“Provincial lawmakers will receive various types of funds,” said Planning and Development Board Secretary Imran Sikandar. “The administration has instructed the board to calculate the development budget of the provincial lawmakers,” Sikandar confirmed.
Rumors are rife that the two political parties in Punjab may be at odds over several issues. Analysts believe the release of funds might be an attempt to placate the coalition partners.
With over 47,000 Covid-19 positive cases, Punjab appears to be the second most affected province in Pakistan. A sharp reduction in revenue collection, coupled with other factors, has triggered a financial crisis for the most populous province. If there were any chances of recovery, experts said they were blown away by the arrival of the Covid-19 health crisis. Struggling to pay its employees, pensioners, and a long list of outstanding bills, the provincial government is now waiting for loans from local and foreign lenders.
The government’s decision to dole out development funds at a time when it is struggling with a financial crisis has raised eyebrows among critics. The move comes a month after the cash-strapped Buzdar administration requested a whopping Rs.115 billion from the federal coffers.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 13th, 2020.
At a time when the Punjab government is begging for financial assistance from the centre, Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has decided to dish out development funds for lawmakers from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its coalition partners.
The development funds, according to one official, will be used by PTI lawmakers and coalition MPs in their respective constituencies.
The finance department, the official said, has received direct orders from the chief minister to release the funds to ruling PTI legislators and its coalition partners in the province, which includes the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q). “The chief minister plans cut to the Khushal Pakistan Programme to provide funds for the provincial legislator,” said one official who was speaking on the condition of anonymity.
The coalition government in Punjab, the most populous province, was formed after the PTI and PML-Q joined hands in 2018. According to officials familiar with the details, members of the coalition -- primarily the PML-Q ramped up the pressure for the funds. The chief minister made the final decision after a meeting with the Speaker of the Provincial Assembly, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, and PML-Q MNA Chaudhry Moonis Elahi.
“Provincial lawmakers will receive various types of funds,” said Planning and Development Board Secretary Imran Sikandar. “The administration has instructed the board to calculate the development budget of the provincial lawmakers,” Sikandar confirmed.
Rumors are rife that the two political parties in Punjab may be at odds over several issues. Analysts believe the release of funds might be an attempt to placate the coalition partners.
With over 47,000 Covid-19 positive cases, Punjab appears to be the second most affected province in Pakistan. A sharp reduction in revenue collection, coupled with other factors, has triggered a financial crisis for the most populous province. If there were any chances of recovery, experts said they were blown away by the arrival of the Covid-19 health crisis. Struggling to pay its employees, pensioners, and a long list of outstanding bills, the provincial government is now waiting for loans from local and foreign lenders.
The government’s decision to dole out development funds at a time when it is struggling with a financial crisis has raised eyebrows among critics. The move comes a month after the cash-strapped Buzdar administration requested a whopping Rs.115 billion from the federal coffers.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 13th, 2020.