ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday announced that he will write to President Dr Arif Alvi for ‘exceeding powers’ after the latter unilaterally held elections to the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies. announced the date of
Addressing a press conference here to unveil austerity measures “to save Rs 200 billion annually”, he criticized President Alvi for unilaterally announcing the date of provincial assembly elections. He termed this move as ‘unconstitutional’. He said that the President has no right to announce the date of provincial assembly elections.
“He [the president] committed an unconstitutional act nine months ago,” he said clearly, referring to the dissolution of the National Assembly in April 2022. The Prime Minister said that the Federal Cabinet has decided to write a letter to the President to condemn him. action.
During the question and answer session, Shahbaz Sharif said that the government respects the high courts but how long will it keep its eyes closed when the judges are completely biased.
The Prime Minister said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) supremo Nawaz Sharif was disqualified in a trivial case, while the court regularized [Imran] Khan’s 300-kanal house. Shahbaz Sharif said that I demand not as the Prime Minister but as the head of PMLN that biased judges should not hear the cases of PML-N.
Earlier, the prime minister unveiled a series of austerity measures to save Rs 200 billion – aimed at keeping the country afloat as the nation prepares to meet International Monetary Fund conditions.
Together with the Cabinet members, the Prime Minister announced that the Prime Minister’s ministers and advisors had decided to “voluntarily” not take salaries and other perks from the government to save lakhs of rupees a month.
All Federal Ministers, Ministers of State, Advisors and Special Assistants have decided not to take salaries voluntarily.
All ministers will pay their utility bills including electricity, telephone, water and gas bills from their own resources.
All the luxury cars are being withdrawn from the cabinet members and will be auctioned.
Ministers will be provided with a vehicle for security if required.
Government officials will travel in economy class and their aides will not accompany them on official tours.
Cabinet members will not stay in five-star hotels during foreign visits.
Current expenditure of all ministries, divisions, departments, sub-departments, and autonomous bodies will be reduced by 15 percent.
Principal Accounting Officers of Ministries, Divisions, Departments, Sub-Departments, and Independent Organizations shall adjust their expenditure accordingly.
Government officials will not be allowed to buy luxury cars until June 2024.
Government officials will only undertake official visits if required;
The car allowance of government officials, who already own official vehicles, will be stopped.
Vehicles provided to government officials for security will be withdrawn.
The Ministry of Home Affairs will decide which government officer gets security vehicles.
Zoom conferences will be preferred instead of visiting countries.
No new department or division shall be created, whether at the Tehsil level or at the Centre;
To conserve electricity and gas, offices will open at 7:30 a.m. and use low-energy appliances.
Government officers will not be allotted more than one plot.
Only one dish will be served at official meetings. Tea and biscuits will be served at other meetings.
Food prohibition will not apply to foreign dignitaries.
Centre, provinces will cut power supply to malls and markets if not closed by 8:30 pm.
Town houses will be constructed for ministers and government officials.
A single treasury account will be established, and details of Tosha Khana gifts will now be available online. Government officials will only be able to keep a gift of Rs 80,000.
The Prime Minister said that austerity measures are among the priorities of the coalition government and the current situation also calls for the entire nation to reduce its expenses and move towards a simple lifestyle.
He appealed to Chief Justice Umar Atta Bandial, Chief Justices of all High Courts, Lower Courts and Chief Ministers of the four provinces to implement the steps taken by the federal government.
The Prime Minister said that it is very important for leaders to adopt austerity measures as the country is facing a tough task on the economic front.
The prime minister said the government had passed a ‘mini-budget’ to meet IMF preconditions, but noted that inflation was rising due to Washington-based lender demands.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said that the negotiations with the IMF are in the final stage and the government will soon reach an agreement with the lender. “Unfortunately, as soon as the subsidy is gone, inflation will rise.”
The Prime Minister said that the Center will take the country out of the economic crisis with the help of the “seniors and the nation”.
Responding to a question, the prime minister said that one person – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran – will claim that politicians have kept billions of dollars abroad in Swiss accounts.
“This person will say that he will bring back the money. I wish that the person who made these claims, when he was in power, should be questioned again,” the prime minister said.
In response to a question, Shahbaz Sharif said that the decision to reduce the cabinet was delayed for a few days. “Alliance partners are seriously considering this and there will be good news in this regard soon,” he said.
He said that he has contacted the military institutions and they have given a positive response regarding the non-defense expenditure. He said that he himself would announce a reduction in non-defense spending. In response to a question, the Prime Minister said that Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari pays his expenses from his own pocket.
Referring to the natural calamities of the earthquake in 2005 and the floods last year, Shahbaz Sharif said that the country’s poor were the most affected. He said that now it is the turn of the rich class to show that they will save every penny of the national treasury and use it for the welfare of the people.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that managing flour is the province’s job. He further said that ‘we have spent billions of dollars and bought wheat, there is no wheat crisis anywhere in the country, we will try to fully involve the provinces in all these measures, there has been no reduction in the health allowance. will go’
