LAHORE: An official handout carrying directions from caretaker finance minister Zia Haider Rizvi for the finance secretary to stop releasing honoraria for civil servants announced by the Shahbaz government triggered controversy.

It said the finance minister issued the instruction citing paucity of funds during a meeting at the Chief Minister’s office on Thursday.

It said the minister directed the finance secretary to stop funding for the Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT), Saaf Pani, Daanish schools or any other development schemes till the general elections.

Finance secretary Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh, however, denied that any such instruction was issued by the finance minister. He also said that the honoraria announced by former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif was disbursed over 10 days ago.

The finance secretary said the OLMT was being established with dedicated loan and had nothing to do with the finance department. For other development projects, he said, the funds were already released.

Under the instructions of Election Commission of Pakistan, he said the release of funds by the finance department would be limited to the provision of missing facilities and other welfare programmes for public schools, where polling stations would be set up for the upcoming elections.

The minister directed the Punjab Revenue Authority chairman to make way for the dialogue instead of any collision with the business community so that the matters could amicably be resolved. He said the Trade and Industry Department should also assist in this regard. The minister appealed to the business community to side with the government in this difficult time and help hold free and fair elections.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2018