ISLAMABAD: It’s not just the people; members of the federal cabinet are also un-happy with the state of the national economy, and thus the role of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has come under scrutiny.

Some senior members of government raised the issue with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and sought a no-holds-barred briefing from the finance minister.

The request didn’t go down well with Senator Dar, a senior member of the government aware of the development told Dawn. On the insistence of the prime minister, Mr Dar agreed to a presentation, but only in the full glare of the media — which, according to the government functionary, angered many within the cabinet.

As a result, on Jan 1 a special sitting of the cabinet was held in which media persons who cover the economy were also invited to the Prime Minister’s Office. Senator Dar made a PowerPoint presentation on various facts of the national economy.

Speaking briefly, the finance minister made a comparative analysis with how precarious the national economic indicators were last year when the PPP was in power. He claimed that with his deft handling, things improved within the first six months of the present government’s tenure.

Throughout his presentation, he lamented that the previous government’s bad decision-making had adversely affected the country on the economic front.

In one journalist’s opinion, though, the PPP performed so poorly over its five years in power that even a little bit of good performance can be described as a positive development which, at the moment, isn’t enough for the country.

After the presentation journalists asked questions, but Mr Dar’s colleagues in the cabinet remained quiet, even though they had heard all of the finance minister’s comments.

Prime Minister Sharif was also present, and the only minister made conspicuous by his absence was Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.

According to the government source, Ch Nisar, along with other ministers, wanted an in-camera briefing for the cabinet, without the presence of the media. It was only the interior minister, though, who registered his protest against Mr Dar’s reluctance to make a special presentation for the federal cabinet, said the government source.

Talking to Dawn, a PML-N member of the National Assembly, who also heads an important house standing committee, said the party lawmakers weren’t happy with the overall management of the national economy. Ever-increasing oil prices, back-breaking inflation, and the depreciation of the rupee versus the dollar have already put the government in a tight corner.

“At least on the economic front, people expected better handling from the PML-N government but, unfortunately, things aren’t moving in the right direction,” said the lawmaker, who didn’t want to be named.

Aware of the cabinet meeting which was not attended by Ch Nisar, the chairman of the standing committee said the interior minister and his colleagues had wanted a frank discussion with the finance minister on the state of the economy, which Mr Dar turned into a media show.

“As far as my information goes, Ch Nisar and others wanted to know why the government is failing on the economic front because with every passing day, people are losing patience as well as the hope they had pinned on us. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in his inaugural speech, committed that within the first 100 days of his government, people will at least feel the difference,” said the PML-N lawmaker, “but that promised positive change is yet to arrive.”