Labelling all businesspersons as mafias inappropriate: Asad Umar

 

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning and Development, Asad Umar, has said it was inappropriate to label all businesspersons as mafia, however, running personal businesses while being in the government could create a conflict of interests, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

Asad Umar, while talking to ARY News’ programme ‘Off The Record’, said that anyone involved in wrongdoing could be labelled but mafia or dacoit, however, it is totally inappropriate to bring all businesspersons under the same categories.

The planning minister admitted that it was possible to compromise on different matters amongst government institutions, however, the formulation of policies to benefit the business community in the country was no wrongdoing.

“Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari are owners of sugar mills, on the other hand, neither Prime Minister Imran Khan possesses ownership of any mill nor Asad Umar owns any company. Not a single person in the present government has misused powers while being responsible of a ministry,” said Umar.

Umar was of the view that those involved in misusing powers or wrongdoing must face penalty even if the person is holding a prominent position in the government. All political parties have people running their own businesses, however, if a person becomes an executive or cabinet member besides working for the personal business would create conflict of interests.

Report on sugar crisis

“The decision for allowing sugar exports could only be called wrong if the country was facing a shortage of the commodity. At that time, prices were increased up to 30 per cent but there was no shortage of sugar. The food security ministry expressed fear of a reduction in sugarcane production but it did not recommend to restrict its exports.”

“Khusro Bakhtiar is the only minister in the federal cabinet who owns business of sugar and he had excused to attend the cabinet session on sugar crisis. It was not an uncommon thing to give subsidy on sugar exports but publicising investigation and its report by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government was a unique step.”

Asad Umar said that the federal government’s action will be unveiled after the forensic audit report on April 25.

Commission on IPPs

The minister said that an independent commission was also constituted for holding an investigation into irregularities of independent power producers (IPPs). Special powers were given to the commission working under the supervision of Shehzad Qasim, he added.

“I haven’t read the probe report on the sugar crisis so far, however, the forensic audit will expose the alleged misusage of powers and more facts behind the rise in sugar prices. Imran Khan is my prime minister and I am answerable to him. It is the sole authority of PM to appoint any MNA [Member of National Assembly] as a minister.”

Anti-coronavirus strategy

While commenting over the situation of COVID-19 pandemic, Asad Umar said that the lockdown has dented the national economy up to 40 per cent and the country sought a unified strategy to contain the disease. Strict measures must be adopted in the virus hotspots across the country, he suggested.