ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan presided over a meeting of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) parliamentary party at Parliament House ahead of the National Assembly session wherein the government is going table the mini budget.
Sources told ARY News that PTI lawmakers confronted Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin with a volley of questions during the meeting.
MNA Saleemur Rehman lamented that the US dollar has soared to Rs180 against the Pakistani rupee with the public thrown at the mercy of the market.
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At this, Tarin said the US dollar was overvalued due to the prevailing situation in Afghanistan and its exchange rate should be between Rs165 and Rs170. He hoped that the artificial rise in the American currency’s value would be controlled.
Some of the lawmakers who were in attendance in the meeting were critical of the bill granting complete autonomy to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
MNA Rameesh Kumar said he didn’t object to the central bank’s autonomy but was concerned at the tough conditions set forth by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for release of the last tranche of the $6 billion package. He stressed the need for taking Parliament and people into confidence on the matter.
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Tarin rejected the impression that control of the SBP was being handed over to the IMF.
Prime Minister Khan said the government won’t do anything that will hurt the country’s sovereignty.
Tarin said the government didn’t accept every condition of the Fund but brought it round to softening its conditions. “Making state institutions autonomous is our government’s policy,” he said, explaining the government will appoint board of governors of the SBP, who will then pick its governor.
MNA Saleh Mohammad was of the view that the mini budget would add to rising inflation. “You say that every sector is making progress, then why are new taxes being imposed?” he questioned.
 parliamentary party at Parliament House.){kind=link}