–Faraz says fast work on institutional reforms underway
–192 pumps sealed for selling smuggled oil
ISLAMABAD: An inter-ministerial committee has been formed to probe the Broadsheet LLC scandal after videos of the firm’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kaveh Moussavi surfaced on YouTube wherein in he made claims regarding former premier Nawaz Sharif.
The federal cabinet has decided to reveal facts to expose individuals involved in money laundering and making fun of the country’s institutions in light of the findings of UK law firm Broadsheet, said Minister for Information and Broadcasting Syed Shibli Faraz on Tuesday while briefing the media persons about the decisions taken during the cabinet meeting.
Earlier, Moussavi’s allegations that the Sharif family approached him with a bribe created quite a stir in media.
In an interview, the CEO had said that Broadsheet had flatly refused the deal offered by a person claiming himself as the nephew of Nawaz in the year 2012, retorting that the Broadsheet did not negotiate with crooks.
Faraz said that the cabinet has formed an inter-ministerial committee, which will reveal the individuals, mentioned in the Broadsheet scandal. He said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and others influenced that inquiry to save their own skin and now the government under Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to make those names public, after thorough scrutiny of the available material.
Faraz clarified that the purpose of the committee is not to look into the minutiae of the case, but to discover how the country’s wealth was looted, and how Broadsheet was approached by a person claiming to be Nawaz’s nephew after it had made its discoveries.
“This is a problem that started in 2000 when an NRO was given to PML-N and [PPP] and then it was as if the matter went into cold storage […] 200 names were given [to the asset recovery firm] of people who illegally sent the country’s wealth abroad,” Faraz said while addressing the media after a federal cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
“Different interviews have come forth and after the High Court’s decision in England, an inter-ministerial committee has been formed to further dissect the matter,” said Faraz.
The information minister that those who “made a mockery out of the state institutions, hurt the nation’s wealth and dragged the country into litigation which has caused great embarrassment” will be dealt with after the committee shares its own findings “soon”.
The minister said that the cabinet also approved a bill to enhance powers of the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) to ensure transparency. He added that automation and digitisation are being introduced in the working of the office of the AGP. He informed issuance of cheques will be automated to prevent any kind of delay and fraud.
Faraz said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is vigorously working on institutional reforms and the cabinet has decided to make these reforms public soon.
Talking about negative impact of the sale of smuggled petrol in Pakistan, the minister said that a crackdown has been started against petrol pumps involved in selling substandard and smuggled petrol, which poses hazards not only to the environment but also adversely impacts functionality of the vehicles.
He said that the sale of smuggled petrol is inflicting a loss of around Rs180 billion to the national exchequer. He added that, so far, 192 petrol pumps have been sealed for selling substandard smuggled oil.
Faraz maintained that such petrol pumps have been directed to furnish records of their sale and purchase within one week. He added that 2,090 petrol pumps have been identified across Pakistan that are involved in selling smuggled petrol.
The minister said that Planning Minister Asad Umar, during the cabinet meeting, raised the incident of the death of Osama Satti in police firing and PM Imran expressed his strong displeasure and annoyance regarding the opening of fire by the police on a youth.
Faraz highlighted that the joint investigation team formed to investigate the killing of Osama has presented its report to the interior secretary, but the premier has offered that a new probe can be arranged if family members of the deceased youth are not satisfied with JIT’s findings.
He stressed that an inquiry will be organised to the satisfaction of Osama’s family to take the culprits to the task.
Faraz said that PM Imran also instructed to formulate a policy in 15 days to address shortage of wheat and other food items in the country.
