ISLAMABAD: It appears that the government has abandoned the
search for replacement of former finance minister Ishaq Dar and rather
intends to continue with the present arrangement until the end of its
term.
Insider sources familiar with the development told
Dawn on Tuesday that a proposal which has been floated earlier to
appoint a minister of state for finance is not receiving any forward
movement.
The sources said formal consent was also sought
from former prime minister Mian Nawaz Sharif regarding the proposed
arrangement to handle day-to-day matters of the Ministry of Finance,
while strategic decision-making and the portfolio of finance will remain
with the prime minister.
However, no signal for go ahead was received from Mr Sharif, the sources added.
As
per the proposed plan, the idea was to appoint MNA Rana Mohammad Afzal
Khan as minister of state for finance. It was also suggested that this
arrangement will be supported by an advisory committee comprising four
to six members who will provide input to the government on economic
issues.
The present set up will continue by allowing
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Revenue Haroon Akhtar Khan to
look into tax related issues, while Federal Minister for Federal
Education and Professional Training Baligh Ur Rehman is tasked to look
into parliamentary affairs and appear before committees to defend
government decisions, besides fulfilling other responsibilities.
Special
Assistant to the Prime Minister on Economic Affairs, Miftah Ismail is
tasked to look into special economic issues assigned to him. However, he
is not in control of any ministry under the current position.
One
of the sources however went on to say the finance ministry is suffering
as a result that there are many functions that nobody is clear whose
area of responsibility as the prime minister is too busy to take care of
those functions.
Mr Dar was heading around 50 committees
on various issues constituted by the government. The meetings of these
committees are not being convened since the approval of finance minister
leave applications and even earlier. The prime minister withdrew the
portfolio of finance and economic affairs from Mr Dar on Nov 22 after
granting him leave.
A source in the finance ministry said
that incumbent government has lost interest in running the day to day
affairs of the ministry.
“Undoubtedly, the finance
ministry is suffering in terms of pushing for implementation of projects
to sustain growth in all those indicators achieved earlier,” the
official said.
Apparently thing are working but there
will be all of a sudden shock in case government did not take the
appointment of a regular finance minister seriously, he added.
Finance
Secretary Shahid Mahmood is also retiring in the next 15 days, the
official said, adding even a bureaucrat has no power to implement an
agenda of a political government.
According to the
official, Mr Dar was heading several important committees. “It is
unclear who is running affairs of fiscal and monitory board, monitor
fiscal deficit and other important issues,” the official said.
