The government Thursday informed the Senate that it looks forward to defeating a move initiated by the US to put Pakistan on a global terror-financing watchlist with an anti-money-laundering monitoring group. Pakistan has been scrambling in recent months to avert being added to a list of countries deemed non-compliant with terrorist financing regulations by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) - a measure that may hurt its economy.
Speaking on a ministerial response to a question asked by Senator Farhatullah Babar, State Minister for Finance Rana Muhammad Afzal said that it is a political move which is being done at the behest of anti-Pakistan elements. "We''''re aggressively contesting this move and are optimistic to get the support of certain countries, for which interior minister and adviser to the prime minister on finance are already abroad," he added. The minister said that despite all-out efforts by the country, putting it on terror-financing list is a dangerous move, adding that "we have taken all measures to foil the bid as strict actions are being taken against terror affiancing."
About display of ''''Free Karachi'''' advertisements in leading US newspapers, Afzal said that the government has taken up the matter with the US State Department and they have assured that they continue to support Pakistan''''s sovereignty and territorial integrity as strongly as possible.
Besides, he said that the issue was also taken up with the US Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells during her recent visit to Pakistan who also assured Pakistan that such campaigns against Pakistan are not acceptable. The minister said that Pakistani community in the US has also played a major role and took up the matters at several forums, adding that the country has no legal option to drag the newspaper to the court, or else "we could have done that too."
He said that India is behind all these malicious campaigns against Pakistan, and it is giving $3,000 to each taxi for carrying anti-Pakistan posters "but we would like to make it clear that the enemy will not succeed in its nefarious motives." Speaking on a point of public importance, Babar called upon the chairman Senate to announce his ruling on trichotomy of powers reserved by the chair after a comprehensive debate in which, the MPs expressed their apprehension over the shifting of power balance away from the elected Parliament.
In an obvious reference to establishment, he said that power is continuously shifting away from the civilian structures of the state as "invisible forces" are relentlessly busy re-writing the political and parliamentary narrative. "And it is critical that an appropriate ruling is announced to put on notice these elements ahead of the forthcoming Senate elections," he added. Babar said the continuing shrinking of civilian and parliamentary space and its taking over by invisible forces and civil-military bureaucratic complex is dangerous and must be curbed.
Chairman Raza Rabbani said he has almost finalized his ruling on the issue and would announce it soon. Rabbani also invited Senator Babar to his chamber on Friday for a discussion on the issue. Senator Babar said that during the discussion on trichotomy of powers recently he pointed out that the central issue was the systematic and deliberate shifting of locus of power from Islamabad to Rawalpindi and worse still the new locus was not accountable.
He said this phenomenon was summed up by former Army Chief General Jehangir Karamat while commenting on the Legal Framework Order (LFO) of General Pervez Musharraf, adding General Karamat publicly admitted that the LFO represented the longstanding desire of the military to re-write the civil-military equation on the terms of military.
"So neither is it something new nor is there any doubt about what he has been saying. The issue is that lately it has acquired speed and momentum that bode ill for the federation," he added. Later, taking part in debate on an admitted adjournment motion by Colonel Syed Tahir Mashhadi (retd) and others, the opposition senators lambasted the government for an increase in prices of petroleum products, saying it is nothing but to ''''snatch food from the mouth of the poor.''''
They also staged a token walkout which was also joined by Paktunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) senator - an ally of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N.) Winding up the debate, State Minister for Maritime Affairs Chaudhry Jaffar said that POL prices are increased in accordance with international market trends.
The government admitted that it failed to revamp the national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) despite all-out efforts. Responding to a calling attention notice by PPP Senator Sherry Rehman about closure of PIA routes to Oman and Kuwait, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sheikh Aftab said that due to heavy loss incurred to the PIA, the government has no option but to shut the PIA routes to New York first and then to Oman and Kuwait.
"We must accept that we failed to revamp PIA despite all-out efforts and we welcome suggestions from both treasury and opposition on how to put the PIA on right track as we are all are equally concerned about deteriorating situation of this national entity," he added.
He also said that out of total 36 planes, PIA has only 12 planes while the remaining planes are on dry lease, adding efforts are being made to revamp PIA as a new CEO has been appointed by the Prime Minister. Senator Sherry Rehman said that it is important to point out that air traffic has swelled 40 percent over the past five years to 20 million passengers, but the PIA is halting international flight routes.
"Five new international airlines are expected to venture into Pakistan''''s aviation industry by next year, which will pose fresh challenges to financially struggling PIA," she added. She said that a few months ago, the PIA halted flight routes to New York for the first time since 1961, adding despite the global trends of improvement in profitability and significant decline in oil prices, the PIA continued to make losses and could not even cover costs.
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