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| As economic crisis worsen, Pak finds it difficult to run embassies | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 23: Facing an unprecedented economic crisis due to its wrong policies, Pakistan is finding it difficult to even bear the expenses of its embassies functioning across the world.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to cut the number of foreign missions as part of austerity measures.
"The prime minister is pleased to direct that a well-considered proposal/ plan in this respect may please be submitted to this office within two weeks positively," a directive issued by the PM Office reads.
According to the news report, Shehbaz has issued instructions to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to slash down a number of foreign missions abroad and reduce their offices, staff, and other measures to cut down expenditures by 15 per cent.
The official communication titled "Rationalisation of Foreign Mission Abroad" states that in view of the ongoing economic constraints and the consequent need for fiscal consolidation and control of external deficit, the prime minister was pleased to constitute a National Austerity Committee (NAC).
Pakistani media suggested that there has been increasing frustration amid the political-cum-technocratic members of the cabinet over the government's reluctance to implement the measures issued by the NAC.
The media reported that while the government is taking measures such as hiking electricity and gas tariffs, it is not cutting down wasteful expenditures.
Although Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar in his mini-budget speeches reiterated the government's commitment to undertaking austerity steps by the PM within weeks, there was a perception that the government undertook all tough measures by hiking electricity, and gas tariffs and imposing Rs 170 billion additional tax burden but was in no hurry to cut down wasteful expenditures. |
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