Govt ready to book ticket for Nawaz Sharif: Awan

PM’s adviser tells NA govt prepared to give briefing on funds disbursed under Ehsaas Cash programme

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Senator Dr Babar Awan has said the PTI led federal government is ready to book tickets for PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif if he wants to return to Pakistan.

"The day he [Nawaz Sharif] takes the decision along with others to return to Pakistan, we will book tickets for them," Dr Awan said while giving a policy statement in the National Assembly.

Three-times former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has been in London since November 19, 2019 after he was granted interim bail on medical grounds and later the permission to fly abroad to get medical treatment for a debilitating health condition.

The provincial government of Punjab in April this year asked Nawaz to surrender to authorities after he did not send the medical reports as demanded by a medical board.

Recently a picture of Nawaz did the rounds on social media, raising questions about his health condition with Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry calling for an inquiry into the reports of the medical board that had recommended his treatment abroad.

Nawaz has been serving a 7-year jail term since December 24, 2018 after his conviction by an accountability court in Al-Azizia corruption case. Interestingly, Nawaz Sharif cannot take part in politics as the apex court disqualified him for life for hiding his income in Panama Papers case in July 2017.

However, Dr Babar Awan told the Nation Assembly on Wednesday that the government has no objection to Nawaz’s coming back to Pakistan and taking part in party politics.

“As per the Constitution, freedom of movement is the fundamental right of every citizen,” he added.

The adviser also defended the Ehsaas Emergency Cash programme under which the federal government disbursed Rs12,000 each to 12 million families hit hardest by the lockdown and economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar is ready to give a briefing to any committee about Ehsaas Emergency Cash programme. We have no objection to the briefing as demanded by the opposition, as it is very important for ensuring transparency," he added.

He said answers would be given on transparency of the programme as it is one of the biggest cash transfer programmes of the country launched to provide financial assistance to the poor.

He said no one has any objection to the projects included in multi-billion-dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Dr Awan said the government is also ready to hold discussion on opening tourism sector that is also greatly affected by the pandemic.

“SOPs [standard operating procedures] suggested in this regard by the opposition will be welcomed.”

Taking the floor, PML-N lawmaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi said the NA standing committee on finance had not taken any input from the members of the assembly on Finance Bill 2020-21.

He said enough funds had not been allocated for the tribal districts merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) province and despite passage of seven years no steps have been taken for rehabilitation of the people in the area that were once a hotbed of militancy.

He said in view of rising inflation, salaries of government employees should be increased. Abbasi also criticized the government over its coronavirus policy. He also asked the government to allocate funds for Abbottabad interchange on motorway.

“All development schemes started by the previous government in my area have been stopped by the PTI government. I request the government to announce a financial package for the people linked with the tourism industry,” he added.

WITH INPUT FROM APP