Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the Opposition parties and India are on the same page with regard to the issue of Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
According to official sources, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday chaired a meeting of government and party representatives, in which briefings about the governmental measures to bring back PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and the Karachi Transformation Plan were given. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi elaborated on the role of Opposition in legislation pertaining to FATF.
India making effort for the inclusion of Pakistan on the FATF
Prime Minister, while directing to highlight the role of Opposition on FATF before the masses, said that India was making an all-out effort for the inclusion of Pakistan in FATF blacklist and the Opposition was trying to blackmail the government by hindering legislation on FATF, which provided evidence that the Opposition and India were pursuing the same agenda.
While admitting the importance of Opposition’s role in a democratic set up, the prime minister said that Opposition was harming the country just to conceal its corruption. He said that the Opposition was making efforts to bargain certain amendments in the Anti-Money Laundering Act to safeguard their vested interests. He lamented prioritisation of vested interests over the larger interest of the nation.
Read more: PTI leaders swing into action to obtain opposition approval for crucial FATF-related bill
He reiterated that Nawaz Sharif was allowed to travel abroad only on humanitarian grounds and that the government would not compromise on its stance on accountability. Prime Minister, while directing to call a session of National Assembly and Senate on Monday, said that there should be no delay in legislation on issues related to national security and public interest.
Today in Senate the opposition defeated 2 critical FATF-related bills: Anti Money Laundering & ICT Waqf bills. From day one I have maintained that the self-serving interests of the opposition leaders & the country's interests are divergent. As accountability noose has tightened,
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) August 25, 2020
Earlier, Prime Minister held a meeting with Advisor to PM on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan to discuss FATF legislation, parliamentary affairs and other legal matters of national importance.
Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar, Prime Minister’s Advisor on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood, Planning Minister Asad Umar, Law Minister Farogh Naseem and Advisor on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar were present in the meeting.
Govt to make the system of subsidies organised and effectively says PM Imran
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said that the government’s foremost priority was to make the system of subsidies organised and effective so that subsidy from the public exchequer not only reached the deserving but desired results were also achieved.
Opposition blackmails our Govt over FATF related legislation to approve their proposed amendments in NAB ordinance. Their amendments: all cases before 1999 i.e when PPP & PMLN took turns, should be brushed under the carpet. pic.twitter.com/lCkskGMDri
— PTI (@PTIofficial) August 28, 2020
Chairing a meeting about making the government’s subsidies system organised and effective, the Prime Minister directed to make all possible efforts to improve the system of subsidies so that decisions of public-interest could be taken and implemented.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister was given a detailed briefing on direct or indirect government subsidies in various sectors, expenditures on the subsidies, flaws in the current system of subsidies and the progress made so far by the think-tank to further organise the subsidies system.
Read more: FATF satisfied over Pakistan’s measures countering terror financing
The Prime Minister said that with regard to the subsidies system, the government had clear priorities including the help of the poor, socio-economic development, bringing the backward areas at par with the country’s other areas, providing support to exports, and small and medium enterprises and the promotion of construction and agricultural sectors.
Minister for Information Senator Shibli Faraz, Minister for Industries Muhammad Hammad Azhar, Adviser on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Adviser on Institutional Reforms Dr Ishrat Hussain, Special Assistants Dr Shehbaz Gill and Dr Sania Nishtar, Secretary Finance Naveed Kamran, former Secretary Finance Dr Waqar Masood and other senior officers were present.
GVS News Desk