ISLAMABAD: The recently constituted five-member committee by the Prime Minister headed by Federal Minister for Finance Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh on Tuesday briefed a delegation of MQM and ANP on the emerging scenario of the national economy with reference to various measures taken by the government. Besides, the Finance Minister, the committee comprised Federal Minister for Law, Senator Babar Awan, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resourses Syed Naved Qamar and Senator Mian Raza Rabbani. MQM was represented by Dr Farooq Sattar, Senator Babar Ghuri, Adeel Siddiqi and Syed Haider Abbas Rizvi while Senator Haji Adeel, Bushra Gohar, Senator Zahid Khan and Afrasiab Khattak represented ANP.
The delegation was given a detailed briefing on various measures taken by the government including freezing of expenditure, rationalization of PSDP and impact on national economy by the increasing oil prices in the international market plus the negative impact of the ongoing wave of terrorism on national economy.The members of the delegation were apprised of the macro-economic framework in which 2008 was taken as a benchmark year and subsequent developments that had taken place in and around Pakistan leaving effects on its economy, particularly global food inflation and international commodities prices forcing the government to borrow from the State Bank.
Particular emphasis in the briefing was given to the disastrous effects of the floods, the overall budget target and PSDP. The circular debt problem was also provinces to PFPCO leading to shortage of energy and power.The Finance Minister said that the government attached tremendous importance to the parleys with all political elements of the country so that the emerging national issues particularly in terms of economy may be resolved with mutual understanding and cooperation.He said that such meetings would continue in the coming days for building consensus on national issues and to find ways and means for the implementation of various proposals for the resolution of national issues – APP
