Almost Bankrupt Pakistani Government's Federal cabinet swells to 70 members

[FOOLS_NIGHTMARE]

Is that really you or your account got hacked?

It's me bro, majority of the Govt sympathizers are extremely pissed with this Govt.

 

[TheDarkKnight]

In times of extreme political, economic and natural disasters this is the need to the hour - more staff in PMs cabinet.

Most of the cabinet members working voluntarily and not drawing any Salary or other benefits i.e Miftah Ismail etc.

The salary of the individual is not the only expense added. Other facilities, staff expenses, etc get added too which are always more than the salary of the individual. Plus salary is not how they make money.

 

[ziaulislam]

ISLAMABAD:
The PML-N-led coalition government’s federal cabinet swelled to 70 members on Tuesday after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appointed eight more special assistants for himself apparently in an attempt to keep the allies in good humour at state’s expense.

With the eight new special assistants to the prime minister, the cabinet now consists of 34 federal ministers, including one without portfolio, seven ministers of state, four advisers to the PM and 25 SAPMs.

According to the notification, the premier was “pleased” to appoint MNA Iftakhar Ahmed Khan Babar, MNA Maahr Irshad Ahmad Khan, MNA Raza Rabani Khar, MNA Mahesh Kumar Malani, Faisal Karim Kundi, Sardar Saleem Haider, Tasneem Ahmed Qureshi and Mohammad Ali Shah Bacha.

'A necessary evil'

At a time when the economy is going downhill, petroleum prices and inflation are record high and the country is seeking global aid in the wake of torrential rains and flash floods causing unprecedented devastation, the decision to appoint eight new SAPMs drew criticism from different quarters.

“It is a necessary evil in parliamentary systems, especially, when governments are based on coalition,” the president of Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, said.

The PILDAT president, who regularly writes on the political, legislative and electoral affairs of the country, stated in one of his pieces that the 18th Amendment put a cap on the size of the cabinet, saying Article 92 of the Constitution requires that the number of ministers and ministers of state in the federal cabinet should not exceed 11 per cent of the total membership of parliament.

Since parliament comprises two houses — the National Assembly comprising 342 members and the Senate consisting of 104 members or a combined strength of 446 — the 11 per cent comes to 49, so the total cabinet size should not exceed this number.

“The constitution fixed an upper limit of number of ministers,” Mehboob shared with The Express Tribune, adding “anything less than that is legal but not necessarily the best in these times of bad economy.”

'Is anyone left?'

Several PTI leaders lambasted the ruling coalition government and asked if anyone was left, who has yet to be given a portfolio or made an aide.

“Is anyone left,” questioned Leader of the Opposition in Senate, Senator Dr Shahzad Waseem, “the government was not able to provide relief to the flood victims yet the focus is on sharing ministries; the country is going to default but their [government’s] spending sprees has not stopped.”

PTI leader Chaudhry Fawad also lashed out at the Prime Minister, saying the unnecessary addition of eight new non-important members to the cabinet was an expression of the priorities of the Shehbaz Sharif government.

The former information minister said that the country’s economy was broken and the middle class was finding is extremely difficult to manage monthly expenses, regretting that the government was busy playing flute like Nero in these difficult times for the masses.

In the past, Mehboob recalled that the cabinet touched peak during the prime ministership of Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani between 2008 to 2012 when it swelled to 66 members with 47 ministers and 19 ministers of state. After Gilani, former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had a 55-member cabinet, including 35 ministers and 20 ministers of state.

Soon after the notification of new SAPMs started circulating on social media, netizens criticized the government for increasing the size of the cabinet just to keep the allies happy. They wondered why would the government burden the national kitty when it was asking the world to help the flood victims while expressing its inability to do it alone.

They also questioned the move, saying half of the country was under water yet the government was ironing out differences among the coalition partners.

Several government ministers were asked to comment but they didn’t.

Federal cabinet swells to 70 members | The Express Tribune

The PML-N-led coalition government’s federal cabinet swelled to 70 members after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appointed eight more special assistants

tribune.com.pk

Why just 70?
This is unfair to rest of 80 candidates still left in assembly

The number should at least be 120

I hope he swells it further

 

[PakFactor]

I feel this Govt is a follow-up of the previous incompetent govt multiplied by two. All the hype about SS in Punjab has all but gone down the gutters. I will not be surprised if PTI wins all the bye-elections. I think PTI should thank Zardari for bringing the downfall of Pmln so quickly, which no dictator could ever achieve earlier.

Heh? Kya hua check bounce ho gaya apka?

 

[Jango]

Dekh rahay ho Imran Khan? Aisay rakhtay hain ittehadion ko khush.

Wazaratain day kar, foreign trips pay lay ja kar, heli and plane trips par lay ja kar...yehi masla tha ittehadion ko pehle.

 

[VCheng]

Dekh rahay ho Imran Khan? Aisay rakhtay hain ittehadion ko khush.

Wazaratain day kar, foreign trips pay lay ja kar, heli and plane trips par lay ja kar...yehi masla tha ittehadion ko pehle.

Any ittehadis that can be bought like can also flee to a higher bidder at any time, as IK knows well, now.

 

[PakCan]

It's me bro, majority of the Govt sympathizers are extremely pissed with this Govt.

So 70 ministers is where you draw the line? Not when Sindh house was used as an auction house. Not when NAB laws were changed.

Good to know you drew the line somewhere.

 

[Trango Towers]

Problem isn’t number of members and or their pay or perk. Nation of 220 million should be able afforded 70 members. Problem is they are all incompetent, corrupt and waste of resources.

Every jahil harami is in power. Be it a molvi or a general

 

[The Accountant]

Most of the cabinet members working voluntarily and not drawing any Salary or other benefits i.e Miftah Ismail etc.

Benefits miftah got by removing duty on confectionary by product is huge in comaprison to what he can draw in salary in next 5 years ...

 

[Dalit]

This illiterate nation has no future. Barely breathing. Let them live in their delusional bubble. Let PDM rule for an eternity.

 

[Jango]

Any ittehadis that can be bought like can also flee to a higher bidder at any time, as IK knows well, now.

As Shah Mehmood puts it...deep pockets!

 

[xyxmt]

We all should say it loud in one Voice

"THANK YOU GENERAL BAJWA"

Last 5 month made me understand the meaning of of a famous phrase "Mulk ki MC ker di"

 

[Dalit]

We all should say it loud in one Voice

"THANK YOU GENERAL BAJWA"

Last 5 month made me understand the meaning of of a famous phrase "Mulk ki MC ker di"

Just sit back and enjoy the show. I am enjoying every minute. I log into PDF after every week or so and grab my popcorn to read the reactions. They never disappoint me. Pakistan is a nation in crisis and it is a man-made crisis.

 

[VCheng]

As Shah Mehmood puts it...deep pockets!

Idealism meets reality sooner or later.

 

[Olympus81]

I am surprised how can this country survive this massive onslaught from Sharifs / Zardaris / Bajwas.

Sooner or later the country will just implode, if corrective measures are not made.