World News | Former Pak Finance Minister Ishaq Dar Sworn in as Senator Amid Protests by Opposition
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Ishaq Dar, Pakistan's former finance minister who is once again set to take charge as the new financial czar, was sworn in as a Senator on Tuesday amid loud protests by former premier Imran Khan's party members who shouted slogans, calling him a "thief" and an "absconder."
Islamabad, Sep 27 (PTI) Ishaq Dar, Pakistan's former finance minister who is once again set to take charge as the new financial czar, was sworn in as a Senator on Tuesday amid loud protests by former premier Imran Khan's party members who shouted slogans, calling him a "thief" and an "absconder."
Dar, 72, who had been in self-exile since 2017 after being accused in a corruption case, was elected to the Senate from Punjab but could not take oath as he was not in the country. He is set to replace Miftah Ismail as finance minister.
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The senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Monday returned to Pakistan from London with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who following a meeting with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, announced the appointment of Dar as the incoming finance minister.
During the oath-taking ceremony, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmakers surrounded the speaker's dais and chanted slogans calling Dar a 'thief' and "Bhagoda' (Absconder). They also held placards condemning the PML-N leader's oath-taking.
Soon after the oath, the chairman opened the floor for discussions. Subsequently, Leader of the House Azam Nazir Tarar welcomed Dar and hoped that he would serve the country, as he had done in the past.
Addressing the opposition, Tarar said: “We have always taken care of the sanctity of this house and we have always shown respect”.
“The laws and Constitution are applicable to everyone […] your reservations are your personal ones,” he added.
However, the Leader of the Opposition Shahzad Waseem said that the tradition of the house had never been that a “man absconds and comes back”. “His seat has been empty for four years. An ordinance is introduced only to protect him.”
The PTI senator went on to allege that the prime minister helped Dar escape.
“According to my information, he (Dar) has not surrendered before the court; he has come straight to the Senate. Does the Senate not have any respect? Absconders come and go […]”
They, Shahzad contended, came in an aeroplane that was paid for by taxpayers, adding that the person accused of “ruining the economy” was being brought in again.
As Shahzad spoke, senators from the government benches began sloganeering. Nonetheless, Wasim went on to add that Dar was “yet to surrender to the court”.
“He has simply entered the Senate,” he exclaimed, “is there any respect for the Senate or not?”.
After the Opposition recorded its protest, the proceedings progressed as per the agenda.
Countering the Opposition's remarks, Tarar said that in Dar's case, a petition was filed, which was adjourned till October 7.
“You have the right to criticise but don't warp fact,” he concluded.
PML-N leader Miftah Ismail officially stepped down from his post earlier in the day as Dar is all set to become the country's new finance czar.
Earlier, during an informal conversation with the media ahead of the oath-taking ceremony, Dar said “rupee's value has dropped artificially,” admitting that the government faced a big challenge with inflation.
“We will try our best,” he said, “God has blessed us in the past with success".
“I love the people and the people love me,” he added.
Dar told the media on Monday after landing at Nur Khan Airbase that he would "take this country out of the economic vortex…"
"We will take Pakistan out of the economic vortex like in 1999 and 2013-14, there is a lot of hope that we will go in a positive economic direction,” the three-time finance minister said.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)