Govt does not have enough funds to pay pensions of retired employees: Shibli

Muhammad Asad

ISLAMABAD: The cabinet has approved a bill to make the auditor general of Pakistan more powerful to ensure transparency. Minister for information and Broadcasting Syed Shibli Faraz told the media during a News Conference here on Tuesday. He was briefing the media about cabinet meeting held today chaired by the Prime Minister Imran Khan.

While highlighting financial burden on the government due to pension system, which needs to be fixed.  According to him, the government does not have enough funds to pay pensions of employees of a few government departments.

While comparing with other countries, he said that in other countries, a retired government employee or his widow gets the pension. But in Pakistan it continues for generation after generation.

While blasting on the numbers of government employees he said the number of federal employees increased despite the transfer of different departments and ministries to provinces. He opted to eliminate this imbalance.

Shibli Faraz explains the government intention to crack down on the smuggled petrol. According to him, government has sealed 180 pumps involved in selling smuggled petrol.  The owners of said Petrol pumps  will be investigated and handed sever punishments.

He said that about Rs180 billion yearly loss is being inflicted to Country’s revenue due to sale of Smuggled petrol in the country. There are 2,094 fuel stations selling smuggled petrol across the country. Government will be take strict action against all of them.

Shibli informed the media that the cabinet has decided to reveal facts to expose individuals involved in money laundering in light of the findings of Broadsheet, a UK based law firm.

He observed that the PTI government is working on institutional reforms and the cabinet decided to make these reforms public in coming days.

While answering a question he told the media that Prime Minister was told about death incident of Osama Satti due to Police firing, PM expressed strong displeasure over it.  He further informed that the Joint Investigation Committee formed to investigate killing of Osama Satti has presented its report to the interior secretary. However, the Prime Minister has said the government will honour the desire of the parents of the slain youth.