Tag: Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin

  • ‘WhatsApp calls are being tapped’: Shaukat Tarin

    ‘WhatsApp calls are being tapped’: Shaukat Tarin

    Former Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin has said that he wants to tell Pakistanis that now their WhatsApp calls are also being tapped.

    “It was a WhatsApp call. I am disappointed that a WhatsApp call was being recorded. We can take up this matter legally,” said Tarin while speaking on a political talk show on Express News.

    His remarks were in relevance to his recent audio leaks where he asked Punjab Finance Minister Mohsin Leghari and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Minister Taimur Jhagra to write letters withdrawing from the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) deal.

    Read more: ‘Yeh ab tai hogaya hai Imran Khan Pakistan aur 22 crore logo se zyada eham hain’: Twitter reacts to leaked audio

    Tarin was questioned that primarily a WhatsApp call cannot be recorded, so is there a possibility that the people he was conversing with leaked the call.

    Read more: Leaked audio: PTI’s Shaukat Tarin allegedly advising finance ministers in Punjab, KP to sabotage IMF deal

    “There is an institution [behind this]. The conversation cannot be leaked from either Leghari, Taimur or myself. So Pakistanis should know that now WhatsApp calls are being tapped,” said Tarin.

  • ‘Remarks not helpful’: UK cancels big meetings with Pakistan to protest Khan’s stance on Russia

    ‘Remarks not helpful’: UK cancels big meetings with Pakistan to protest Khan’s stance on Russia

    Both the United Kingdom (UK) and Pakistan administrations have learned that the diplomatic relations at this point of time have cooled off to the extent that the UK government has cancelled two important visits after Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan met Russian President Vladimir Putin on the day Russia started assault of Ukraine and then PM’s blistering speech five days ago in which the prime minister said Western diplomats were treating Pakistan like slaves by pushing for tougher stance on Russia, reports Murtaza Ali Shah for The News.

    Pakistan’s National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yousuf’s official visit to the United Kingdom for a meeting with UK’s National Security Adviser Sir Stephen Lovegrove was cancelled by the UK government to protest against Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Russia, both Pakistani and the UK sources confirmed to The News.

    This week, a high-powered delegation of the UK administration was supposed to visit Pakistan for talks on various issues but that visit has been called off, said the UK government source to The News, who confirmed that the message was conveyed to Pakistan.

    The source shared that tensions are so heightened that the UK government called over UK’s High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner for a briefing in relation to the new situation, including the UK-Pakistan relations. The source said Turner has briefed his government policy makers during the London briefings where the UK’s aid to Pakistan came under discussion too and a new policy in this regard will be announced soon.

    The UK government source shared that PM Imran Khan’s public condemnation of the European nations have caused unease amongst the countries, especially Britain, which has often supported Pakistan at various international forums.

    READ MORE: ‘Kya hum aap ke ghulaam hain?’ PM Khan slams EU ambassadors based in Pakistan

    The Pakistani source shared that Pakistan has decided to follow an independent foreign policy and PM Khan’s visit to Russia and his latest public statements are a reflection of Pakistan’s new approach. The source said Pakistan is not against any country and has the right to follow its own policies.

    On Sunday, PM Khan questioned European Union (EU) envoys in Pakistan for their letter asking Islamabad to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    “Are we your slaves that you think we will do whatever you ask us to do?”

    PM should not have reacted publicly against EU, says Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin

    Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin on Wednesday said PM Khan should not have reacted “publicly” against the European Union in his recent speech where he lashed out at the bloc’s ambassadors for their “undiplomatic” statement asking Pakistan to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

  • ‘Tell people there is no inflation’: PM satisfied with economy, says he is ‘brand’ of the party

    ‘Tell people there is no inflation’: PM satisfied with economy, says he is ‘brand’ of the party

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Monday asked his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokespersons to inform the masses that there is no inflation in the country, as he expressed satisfaction over the economic team’s performance, reports The News.

    “We had inherited a ruined economy,” he said while hinting at the Opposition while chairing a meeting of the government and party spokespersons to discuss the national economy.

    Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin briefed the meeting. He assured that inflation has come down in December as compared to November and next month inflation will come down further as global commodity prices are declining.

    The premier directed that the statistics of the economy should be made public and asked his party to inform the people about the reduction in inflation next month.

    He told his party members that their prime minister was “their brand”, as he advised them to not let the Opposition dominate the political environment.

    “Your leader is not like those of the Opposition. The Opposition defends its dacoit, thief, and corrupt leaders,” he added.

    Despite the reassurances the inflation is growing at an alarming rate as earlier this month, the government increased the prices of petroleum products by Rs4 per litre.

    Last week, through the mini-budget 17 percent Good and Service Tax (GST) has been imposed on mobiles and multiple imported food items.

  • Pakistanis in trouble again as more tax hikes planned by the government

    With rising inflation, and an increase in taxes, the poor and working middle-class are being adversely affected.

    At the moment the government is planning on tightening the budget of tax hikes and spending cuts if the country is to get the $1 billion it needs from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    “I never thought it would become so difficult to survive,” said Sibte Hasan, a 43-year-old construction supervisor from Pakistan’s second-biggest city Lahore.

    The Pakistani rupee has also fallen to around 14% since May, which is a historic low.

    Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin is still hopeful things will be better but little to no relief is being given by the government as the country faces an inflation and gas crisis and rising taxes.

  • Shaukat Tarin appointed adviser to PM Khan on finance and revenue

    Shaukat Tarin appointed adviser to PM Khan on finance and revenue

    Former Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin has been appointed Adviser to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on finance and revenue.

    An official notification issued on the appointment read that Tarin’s new status will be equivalent to that of a federal minister.

    The government on Friday had decided to appoint Tarin as an advisor to the PM on finance, as his six-month tenure as the financial advisor was expiring that day, sources had told Geo News.

    The finance minister was supposed to get elected as a senator — a prerequisite to continue as finance minister — as the six-month time limit to elect him as a member of Parliament expired on Friday.

  • ‘Inflation is happening all over the world, reason unknown’: Shaukat Tarin

    ‘Inflation is happening all over the world, reason unknown’: Shaukat Tarin

    Speaking at a press conference in Washington, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin said that other items, including oil, are becoming more expensive all over the world and the reason why they are happening is not known, reports Geo News.

    Tarin said, “If the effects of the Covid pandemic reduce, inflation will come down and targeted subsidies of 40 per cent will be given to the country’s population.”

    He added that one billion dollars are to be expected from International Monetary Fund (IMF), which will be confirmed in the next two days.

    Moreover, the government on Friday decided to appoint Shaukat Tarin as the Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance, as his six-month tenure as the financial adviser is expiring today, sources told Geo News.

    The finance minister was supposed to get elected as a senator — a prerequisite to continue as finance minister — as the six-month time limit to elect him as a member of parliament expires today.