New-look cabinet with old faces

ISLAMABAD:

In a blend of fresh faces and seasoned members, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif introduced his 19-member federal cabinet, before conveying to them to either 'perform or perish' as the nation faced pressing issues requiring a 'surgical operation' instead of experimenting with 'antibiotics' once again.

Shortly after the oath administered by the newly-elected President Asif Ali Zardari, the prime minister not only explained the roadmap but also outlined the challenges ahead, emphasising economic revival and tackling inflation as the government's "biggest challenge and test."

The inaugural cabinet meeting took place at the Prime Minister House, where the ministers formally began addressing the tasks outlined in the first 100-day agenda.

The members of the cabinet include Ishaq Dar, Azam Nazir Tarar, Attaullah Tarar, Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Ameer Mukam, Owais Leghari, Jam Kamal, Salik Hussain, Riyaz Pirzada, Rana Tanveer, Mohsin Naqvi, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Shaza Fatima, Qaiser Sheikh, Ahad Cheema, Musadiq Malik, and Muhammad Aurangzeb.

Ministerial portfolios were assigned as follows: Asif – defence, defence production, and aviation; Dar – foreign affairs; Ahsan Iqbal – planning; Tanveer – industries and production; Azam Nazeer Tarar – law & justice and human rights; Salik – overseas Pakistanis & HR development; Aleem Khan – privatization & Board of Investment; Jam Kamal – commerce; Leghari – Railways; Ata Tarar – information & broadcasting; Siddiqui – science & technology, education & professional training; Qaiser Sheikh – maritime affairs; Pirzada – housing & works; Musadik – petroleum & power; Aurangzeb – finance & revenue; Cheema – economic affairs & establishment; and Naqvi – interior & narcotics control.

Read more: Shehbaz’s ‘lean cabinet’ to be unveiled today

Apart from inflation, the prime minister said that electricity theft, elite subsidy, full recovery of taxes without imposing any additional taxes, privatisation, curbing Rs5,000 billion circular debt of electricity and gas sectors and addressing the climate change issues were key tasks for the government.
“What is the fault of a poor man that he has to bear the brunt of Rs400 billion electricity theft annually,” PM Shehbaz regretted.

In his inaugural speech to the cabinet members, PM Shehbaz conveyed that the path ahead is marked by blood, sweat, and sacrifice. Now, he emphasised, it was the opportune moment to join forces and combat the common adversaries of poverty, corruption, and inflation, steering clear of internal discord.

In his call to action, PM Shehbaz stressed the importance of recovering already imposed taxes to bid farewell to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program. He underscored the need to eliminate leakages, citing a figure where only a fraction of collected funds reached the national treasury.

At present, he provided a rough explanation of leakages, suggesting that if Rs1,000 billion were being collected, Rs3,000 were not contributing to the national treasury—hinting that it was finding its way into certain individuals' pockets. Emphasizing the government's duty to recover the entire sum, he called for unwavering commitment from the cabinet members.

Commenting on the SIFC, PM Shehbaz said that it was an effective forum and mechanism that will continue to be supported as it helps create an investment climate, cut delays and red tapism.

Giving a recipe for getting rid of seeking monetary support from different countries, the PM said that he would only talk about investment in his meetings with his counterparts and envoys.

Despite eying big targets, PM Shehbaz revealed that he had to extend the time for the bidding process of outsourcing airports, which had started in his previous stint, till May as otherwise everything was needed to start from scratch.

He said getting rid of the Rs840 billion annual losses of PIA alone could pave the way for several hospitals, universities and other development projects.

Among the key decisions taken during the maiden meeting, the Prime Minister directed that a committee should immediately be established to control the prices of food and other daily items in the country.

The PM said that the committee will closely monitor the prices of food and other daily commodities in collaboration with the provincial governments.

Meanwhile, the federal cabinet approved the ban on the export of bananas and onions till April 15, 2024, on the recommendation of the ministry of commerce. The ban has been imposed to ensure the abundant availability of bananas and onions in the market during the month of Ramadan.

On the recommendation of the Ministry of Interior, the federal cabinet approved the application of a Dutch citizen, Muhammad Aurangzeb – the one sitting in the federal cabinet, to regain citizenship of Pakistan.

Moreover, the federal cabinet approved the appointment of Major General Abdul Moeed as the Director General of the Anti-Narcotics Force on the recommendation of the Ministry of Narcotics Control.