ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarian (PPP-P) has moved an adjournment motion in the National Assembly Secretariat to discuss $1.5 billion bailout package recently received by the incumbent government from a Muslim country.
“We request that proceedings of the house be adjourned to discuss the urgent and serious matter related the mysterious, sudden, unpredictable, and unexpected rise of the Pak rupee against the US dollar recently,” said a PPP-P lawmaker in the adjournment motion.
PPP-P MNAs Syed Naveed Qamar, Dr Nafisa Shah, Dr Azra Fazal, Shazia Mari and Beelum Husnain submitted the adjournment motion under rule 110 of the rules of procedure and conduct of business in the National Assembly.–Staff Reporter
Subsequently, the finance minister admitted that it was due to a contribution, which he termed a gift of $1.5 billion from a ‘friendly country.’ Later it was reported that Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had given this money.
“The question to be asked is whether this ‘gift’ is a bilateral loan or a grant, and what are the terms and conditions of such a loan or a grant? Why has there been mystery and secrecy surrounding this contribution? Why did the finance minister initially refused to even name the country from whom the money was being received?” they said in the motion.
They further said that this loan or aid had come close on the heels of signing of a bilateral document between Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where certain clauses on Syria had led to the belief that Pakistan had relegated its neutrality for a more partisan role in Syria, which would have serious repercussions on the national security situation in the country.
The $1.5 billion contribution has also come after government’s statement that the Iran-Pakistan pipeline was off the table for the time being, which would further compromise Pakistan’s friendly relations with neighbours and affect its energy security, they said.