PM Shehbaz addresses a meeting of federal cabinet

AI Summary

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the federal cabinet that Pakistan hopes to unlock a $1.2 billion IMF tranche this year and praised cooperation between political and military leaders on fiscal discipline. The meeting is also considering emergency measures and possible governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa amid escalating tensions with the PTI opposition and disagreements over counterterrorism policy.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is currently addressing a meeting of the federal cabinet taking place amid heightened tensions between the Centre and the PTI-led opposition. At the outset of his address, PM Shehbaz spoke of the recent staff-level agreement reached with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). “It is hoped that we will unlock the $1.2 billion tranche within this year,” he said, recalling a meeting with the IMF’s Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva at the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) last month. He commended the political and military leadership for “working together day and night” in bringing fiscal discipline to Pakistan. The premier also recalled his visit to London last month, where he had met with senior executives from leading global financial institutions. The government and PTI have been at odds over various issues, particularly on the counterterrorism policy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where PTI is in power, with the Centre mulling the possibility of a governor’s rule. PTI also went ahead with its protest march on October 4 despite repeated warnings from the federal government. Sources told Dawn that top leaders of the two major ruling coalition partners — the PML-N and the PPP — on Saturday finalised a plan to bring the troubled KP province under federal control by invoking constitutional provisions regarding the imposition of an emergency and governor’s rule. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called Sunday’s meeting to discuss the plan. Information Minister Ataullah Tarar also confirmed to Dawn on Saturday that the prime minister had convened the meeting to discuss the options of imposing an emergency and governor’s rule in KP. “You can understand the meaning of convening the cabinet meeting on Sunday [a weekly holiday],” the minister said when asked if the government had decided to impose emergency in KP. A source in the federal government told Dawn that the federal cabinet is expected to approve a slew of measures under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution to proclaim a state of emergency in KP. Article 232 of the Constitution provides for the proclamation of emergency in a province, while Article 234 deals with the imposition of the governor’s rule “in case of failure of constitutional machinery in a province”. “A cocktail of the two articles”, as he put it. According to him, the Constitution does not require cabinet approval. “It’s the governor, the president and the prime minister,” he said. Cabinet approval is being done as an additional measure. Meanwhile, the PTI holds that it is being left out of security decisions concerning KP, which the Centre has denied. It also calls for reviewing the counterterrorism policy, while the latter criticises the KP government’s efforts to combat terrorism in the province and objects to its stance on dialogue with the Afghan Taliban. In recent days, federal ministers have assailed the PTI for staging a protest long march, which it has been warned against, at a time when KP faces security challenges.