After blocking FBR overhaul, ECP bars caretaker govt from the privatisation of PIA

After practically blocking the restructuring of FBR, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has also barred the caretaker government from the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) privatisation.

ECP urged the interim government to “refrain from taking any further steps including the signing of an agreement”, about the privatisation of the national flag carrier airline or its entities till its formal clearance.

According to the news source, in a letter to the cabinet secretary, days ahead of general elections, the ECP reminded the federal government of Article 230 of the Constitution, which explains the roles and limitations of the caretaker government and sought all relevant cabinet documentation.

The development comes as Cabinet Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal had earlier taken up the issue of “privatisation of government entities (including PIA) by the caretaker government” for clearance.

ECP “directed that the caretaker government should refrain from taking any further steps including the signing of an agreement in this regard, till a decision is made by this Commission under Section 230” of the constitution.

The ECP directed the government to “provide all relevant documents prepared for approval of the Cabinet containing comprehensive privatisation programme concerning the privatisation of PIA” to the ECP as required under Clause 5(b) of the Privatisation Commission Ordinance, 2000 and Section 230 of the Constitution.

Earlier, the ECP had barred the interim government from restructuring the Federal Board of Revenue FBR, formerly known as the Central Board of Revenue, despite clearance from the cabinet and the Special Investment Facilitation Council.

ECP had written to the prime minister on January 30 to leave the FBR restructuring to the incoming elected government.

“No doubt, the improvement and reformation of state-owned institutions are one of the core jobs of the government of the day to improve the overall performance of the government machinery,” but the constitutional scheme and intent of legislature had also defined the scope of functions of the caretaker government in Section 230 of the Elections Act, 2017.

The ECP maintained the caretaker prime minister “should not go for major reforms in FBR and to keep it pending for consideration by the new to-be-elected government by the General Elections 2024”.