PM tells ministers: Show progress in 6 months or matters would go haywire

By Our correspondent

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday warned his ministers to improve their performance in six month, telling them that in case of failure the situation could go out of hand.

Sources privy to the proceedings of the cabinet meeting, held with the premier in the chair here, said a heated debate took place on a foreign media interview of Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry. Sources said two senior cabinet members – Asad Umar and Shah Mehmood Qureshi objected to the interview, saying Fawad Chaudhry had acted very irresponsibly while speaking to the media.

Fawad Chaudhry suggested to the ministers to listen to complete interview before raising any objection. He said that journalist Suhail Warraich had sought his political analysis, and he told him that infighting between Jahangir Khan Tareen, Asad Umar and Shah Mehmood Qureshi had damaged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf a lot, especially the political element in the party. However, PM Imran Khan stopped Fawad Ch from further talk, saying the cabinet members should be careful in their discussions and should not spoil unity in the party ranks.

During the cabinet meeting, Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda came down hard on Asad Umar and Shah Mehmood Qureshi, alleging that they both wanted to become the prime minister. “There is no doubt in it at all,” he claimed. He said their internal rift had damaged the government. He said that always it was claimed in the cabinet meeting that “all is well”, but the ground realities are different.

The prime minister stopped Vawda from further talk, and asked all minister to improve their performance in six months.

According to sources, the premier also sought details of double nationality of his advisors and special assistants.

A heated debate was also held on the performance of some ministers, prime minister’s advisors and special assistants. Faisal Vawda severely criticised the policies of Asad Umar, Abdul Razzaq Dawood and Nadeem Babar, and alleged that some cabinet members were hatching conspiracies. He claimed that a game was going on in the cabinet and he would not stay silent over it.

Sources said when Faisal Vawda got emotional while criticising the cabinet members, PM Imran said: “Calm down, Faisal.”

Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz gave the media briefing about the cabinet meeting on Tuesday. He said the federal cabinet welcomed the verdict of Islamabad High Court (IHC) in sugar inquiry case, and reiterated the government commitment to bring to book all those sugar barons who earned undue profit, irrespective of their background. He said the cabinet decided that recommendations of the inquiry commission regarding the actions should be carried out within the stipulated timeline given to relevant institutions.

He was confident that the step would bring improvement and transparency in whole value chain of sugar production from sugarcane purchase to marketing of the commodity. He said the process of determining the prices of sugar would be visible in next three months, as the government had revamped the entire network of the institutions responsible for monitoring and regulation of the sugar industry.

The minister said it said would result in provision of the commodity to people at reasonable rates and help make recoveries from those, who had been exploiting the system for minting money for long at the cost of the consumers.

Shibli said that the cabinet expressed concerns over the rising price of flour and it endorsed the instruction of Prime Minister for rectification of the situation by taking corrective steps including release of 9 million tons of wheat by the Punjab government and control of smuggling of the commodity.

A committee under Advisor to PM Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh had been constituted to monitor and supervise the situation to streamline the process and make it more transparent. The minister noted that Prime Minister directed to determine the demand and supply of flour on scientific basis with collection of complete data. He said 27 million tons of flour was the country’s requirement, whereas 25 million tons wheat was available and its import was allowed to keep its prices stable.

The minister said the cabinet appreciated the performance of the education ministry for introducing uniform curriculum in the country for all educational institutions including religious seminaries. The cabinet discussed the use of online education by utilising modern technologies in the post-coronavirus situation.

The PM, he said, emphasised making the facility available in far-flung areas of the country, especially Balochistan, where availability of internet was an issue. He directed that IT fund should be utilised for the benefit of the Balochistan people, as they deserve similar facilities as enjoyed by the rest of Pakistan.

The minister said the PM was determined to improving the health system in the country and the cabinet gave approval for establishment of a new teaching hospital in the federal capital, which would be built on modern lines.

Shibli said that Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar and Special Assistant to PM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza gave a detailed briefing on prevalent COVID-19 situation. On the related measures, he said in a short span of time, the laboratories in the country for corona testing had reached 129 from mere two at the start of the pandemic. He said the testing capacity had increased to 50,000 tests daily from initial 472 and it would reach 150,000 per day by end of July.

The minister said overall 770 hospitals in the country were catering to the needs of patients of coronavirus, adding the number of oxygenated beds available in the country was 8,886, out of which 2,671 were occupied. He said 2,150 more oxygenated beds would be available by the next month. Shibli Faraz said the federal government was very clear from day one on how to take steps to overcome the challenge of coronavirus.

He said the PM had the vision from the beginning to run the economy to save vulnerable segments of society from hunger and starvation as well as protect the lives of people.

Citing example of India and Brazil, Shibli Faraz pointed out that both suffered immensely due to their extreme strategies to counter the disease while on the contrary, Pakistan government, despite having limited resources, adopted the best strategy keeping in view the ground realities to tackle the situation. He said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government disbursed huge amount under Ehsaas cash emergency programme among over 150,000 vulnerable families and protected them from starvation.

He said that the opposition finds fault with the handling of corona and calls for strict lockdown as they had billions of rupees in their accounts abroad, but Imran Khan had no foreign accounts and properties and was leading the nation from the front.

The minister said that Imran sacrificed luxurious lifestyle for serving the nation. He said that the cabinet also discussed measures how to tackle the situation during Eidul Azha time. He also appreciated the role of media in these testing times in creation of awareness among the masses despite facing many challenges.

The credit for the success of the strategy, he noted, also goes to masses and especially the medical professionals who were front-line soldiers in this war. The cabinet also deliberated on optimum use of the properties of Evacuee Trust Property Board. The meeting was informed that in the east its properties were leased out on minimal rates or they were occupied by the land mafia. The PM issued directives for digitalisation of its land record.

Shibli Faraz said it would make no difference if anyone belonged to the party or otherwise, when it comes to investigation of any wrongdoings.

The minister, while replying to questions, said that the prime minister knew within the party, who was involved in sugar or flour business before he ordered investigations into the wheat and sugar crises. The minister emphasised that no attempt was made to save the skin of anyone belonging to the ruling party. He added the outcome of the probes was a great government achievement, which was never done ever before.

He was asked by a reporter, had PTI leader Jahangir Tareen informed the prime minister about his foreign trip and that whether he would be back, as his name was among the alleged characters behind sugar crisis and money-making. The minister said that people had voted PTI to carry out tackle the deep-rooted mafias and it was for the first time, any government had taken them head-on.

About certain remarks by Minister for Climate Change Zartaj Gull on some matters, going viral on the social and print and electronic media, including the nature of coronavirus and climate change, Senator Shibli said that it was a slip of tongue and it should not be so. However, he said that the minister for climate change was an outstanding minister and was doing so well and was respected duly in the cabinet.

About some alleged discrepancies in the Ehsaas Cash Programme, he explained that the entire exercise was based on Nadra data and there was no discrimination or political element involved in cash disbursement. “For qualification of any applicant, there are certain parameters to be taken into account,” he noted.

Even if beds were increased up to 10 million, he said these would not be enough, given Pakistan’s population and what was the key was to follow the SOPs and adopt social distancing. He added that the government was doing its best to strike a balance between ensuring economic activity and prevention of spread of the virus.

He cautioned that the cabinet was informed that coming weeks would be very tough. Prime Minister, he noted, would talk to ministers with timelines in relation to tasks and targets. Using technology, the government, he said, was resorting to smart lockdowns and sealing of hotspots.

The minister contended that the PM was mindful of the challenge and the media should also create more awareness among public to follow SOPs and he lauded its role with regards to the virus and desisting from spreading confusion and sensationalism.

Senator Shibli said that a go-ahead for import of wheat was given in view of its 5-6 per cent shortage and to discourage its hoarding, smuggling and artificial shortage. He added there was no question of any compromise on quality of the imported wheat.

He noted that the Ministry of Education was working and would have consultations with the stakeholders for a formula in relation to the educational institutions by next week.

The minister said three medicines were helpful in some corona cases and some of these had been imported while a local firm would be manufacturing one medicine within two weeks for which a mechanism would be readied within two days.

About local newspapers, he said that he stood with these newspapers and a transparent formula would be prepared shortly for genuine publications.

Also, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam said on Tuesday the federal government had decided to shift petrol and diesel from Euro-2 to higher-quality Euro-5. He said Pakistan would become the first country to shift fuel standards from Euro-2 to Euro-5. The PM approved the plan to make a shift to the higher-quality fuel standards in Pakistan. The adviser said that petrol would be shifted to Euro-5 from August, whereas, diesel’s standard would be shifted from January 2021. He said that 70 per cent petrol and 40 per cent diesel were being imported.