Government decides to take $100 million soft loan from IMF: Babar

Federal Law Minister Babar Awan has said that the government has decided in principle to take $100 million soft loan from International Monitory Fund (IMF) to meet the expenses of relief and rehabilitation of the flood affected people. He stated this while addressing a press conference at his residence here on Sunday.
The Minister said that it is the need of the hour to accept the soft loan to meet the urgent needs of the affected people. He also referred to the example of United States, saying that it also took loans of billions of dollars from China to meet its needs.
He further added that the Parliamentary Committee for the appointments of judges under the 18th Amendment could not be formed as long as petitions challenging the amendment are in the courts. He further said that after September 5, the judges of the Balochistan High Court would be retired and the new judges could not be appointed in the absence of the proposed parliamentary committee. He said that the government respects the judiciary and would wait till its decision in this regard.
The Minister said that PML-N should not adopt double standard with respect to the appointment of the judges, as on one hand it supported the 18th Amendment, and on the other, it criticised the government on the judges' appointment in the absence of the Parliamentary Committee.
To a question, the Minister said that the government has constituted a Council on the recommendations of the provinces instead of a proposed Commission as agreed by Prime Minister and PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif to oversee the relief and rehabilitation activities.
"Takhat Lahore' should shun doing politics on national issues and focus on the flood affectees", he maintained.
PML-N, he said, making things controversial aimed at diverting focus from the bad governance of the Punjab and cited the incidents of the broad daylight murdering of the two innocent brothers in the presence of police in Sialkot and torturing the lady doctors in Bahawalpur the other day.
The Minister also demanded of the PML-N to give details of the "Qarz Uttaro Mulk sawaro" campaign, saying that the amount could be used for the flood affectees.
He appreciated the role of the international community for their support and contribution for the flood affectees, adding that the government is waiting for the assistance of Organisations of Islamic Countries.