Punjab, KP polls date: President’s act unconstitutional, says PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Wednesday he would write to President Dr Arif Alvi for ‘transgressing authority’ after the latter unilaterally announced a date for holding elections for the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies.

Addressing a press conference here to unveil a host of austerity measures “to save Rs200 billion annually”, he criticised President Alvi for unilaterally announcing a date for provincial assemblies’ elections, terming the move ‘unconstitutional’. He noted that the president had no right to announce a date for the election to the provincial assemblies.

“He [President] had committed an unconstitutional act nine months ago,” he said in an apparent reference to the dissolution of the National Assembly in April 2022. The premier said that the federal cabinet had decided to write a letter to President to condemn his move.

During the question-answer session, Shehbaz Sharif said the government respected the superior courts, but for how long would it keep its eyes closed when judges are “completely biased”.

The PM said Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) supremo Nawaz Sharif was disqualified in a trivial matter, while the court regularised [Imran] Khan’s 300-canal home. “I, not as the prime minister, but as the PMLN head, demand that biased judges should not hear N-League’s cases,” Shehbaz Sharif said.

Earlier, the PM unveiled a host of austerity measures to save Rs200 billion — aimed to keep the country afloat as the nation buckles up to meet the International Monetary Fund’s conditions.

Flanked by cabinet members, the premier announced that the ministers and advisers to the premier have “voluntarily” decided not to take salaries and other perks from the government in order to save millions of rupees monthly.

All federal ministers, state ministers, advisers, and special assistants have decided to voluntarily not take their salaries;

All ministers will pay their utility bills including power, telephone, water, and gas bills from their own resources;

All luxury cars are being taken back from cabinet members and will be auctioned;

When necessary, ministers will be provided one vehicle for security;

The government officials will travel in economy class and their assistants will not go with them on official tours;

During foreign tours, cabinet members will not stay at five-star hotels;

All ministries, divisions, departments, sub-departments, and independent organisations’ current expenditures will see a cut of 15pc;

Principal accounting officers of ministries, divisions, departments, sub-departments, and independent organisations will adjust their expenses accordingly;

Government officials will not be allowed to buy luxury cars till June 2024;

Government officials will only hold official tours if obligatory;

Car allowances for government officers, who already have official vehicles, will be discontinued;

Cars provided to government officers for security will be taken back;

The interior ministry will decide which government officer gets security vehicles;

Zoom conferences will be preferred instead of visiting countries;

No new department or division will be created, whether it is at the tehsil level or in the centre;

To save power and gas, offices will open at 7:30 am and less power consuming appliances will be used;

Government officers will not be allotted more than one plot;

Only one dish will be served at the government meetings; tea and biscuit will be served at other meetings;

Prohibition of food will not be applicable to foreign dignitaries;

Centre, provinces to cut power supply of malls and markets if they don’t shut down by 8:30 pm;

Townhouses will be constructed for ministers and government officers;

A single treasury account will be established, and Toshakhana gifts’ details will now be available online. The government officials will only be able to keep the gift worth Rs 80,000.

The prime minister said that austerity measures were a priority for the coalition government, and the ongoing situation also demands the nation as a whole cut down their expenses and move towards a simple lifestyle.

He appealed to Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, chief justices of all high courts, the lower courts, and the chief ministers of all four provinces to implement the federal government’s measures.

The prime minister said that it was crucial for the leaders to adopt the austerity measures as the country was facing an uphill task on the economic front.

The PM said the government passed the ‘mini-budget’ to meet the IMF preconditions, but noted that the inflation was rising due to the Washington-based lender’s demands.

PM Shehbaz said that the talks with IMF were in the final phase and the government would soon strike a deal with the lender. “Unfortunately, as the subsidies have ended, inflation will rise.”

The premier said that the centre would take the country out of the economic crisis with the help of the “elders and the nation”.

In response to a question, the premier said that a person — Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran — would claim that politicians have kept billions of dollars abroad in Swiss accounts.

“This person would say that he will bring that money back. I wish that the person who made these claims, was questioned back when he was in power,” the prime minister said.

In reply to a question, Shehbaz Sharif said the decision to shorten the cabinet had been delayed for a few days. “The coalition partners are seriously pondering upon this and good news will come soon in this regard,” he said.

He said he had contacted the military institutions, and they have given a positive response regarding the non-defence expenses. He said they would themselves announce a cut in the non-defence expenditures. Answering a question, the PM said Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari pays his expenditure from his own pocket.

Referring to the natural calamities of earthquakes in 2005 and floods last year, Shehbaz Sharif said it was the poor class of the country that suffered the most. He said now it was the turn of the affluent class to show that they would save every penny of the national exchequer and use it for people’s welfare.

PM Shehbaz Sharif said it was the province’s job to manage flour. “We have procured wheat by spending billions of dollars, there is no wheat crisis anywhere in the country, we will try to involve the provinces fully in all these measures, there will be no cut in the health allowance,” he added.