Senator Raza Rabbani says efforts being made to delay NFC Award

ISLAMABAD: Senator Raza Rabbani inquired on Tuesday about the time the government will bring forth the new National Finance Commission Award, adding that efforts are being made to delay it.

The senator was addressing the upper House of Parliament, where he said that it seems that the International Monetary Fund’s officials have cornered the prime minister.

The senator said that this particular lobby around the PM is also against the 18th amendment and provincial autonomy.

Rabbani said that a former IMF official is now the adviser on the economy, adding that the governor of the state bank is also an ex-IMF official.

He said that if the tax collection system is weak then it is the failure of the federal government, in a direct reference to PM Imran’s statement on Monday.

Rabbani said if provinces are not given their due right then internal instability will take root.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi also addressed the House and said that neither is the 18th Constitutional Amendment being rolled back, nor is presidential system being imposed in the country.

Defending Baqir's appointment, Qureshi said the government had made the selection on merit. He said that Baqir was a son of Pakistan and he was going to serve the country at a minimal salary.

He said it was worth looking at why Pakistan had to approach the IMF. He said that the IMF does not approach governments itself, but countries go to the global lender in their time of need.