Things are moving much faster than expectations, as Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Tuesday said tat the national budget for 2007-08 would be passed by National Assembly on June 23, two days ahead of earlier announced date.
It had been announced that the budget would be passed on June 25, but the hurry in government's approach indicates some extraordinary happenings in the coming days.
Speaking at a news conference at his chamber in Parliament House, the Prime Minister said that the government and the opposition had agreed to get the federal budget passed on June 23, instead of June 25. He was flanked by Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani and State Minister for Information Tariq Azeem.
There were strong rumours that Tariq Azeem was replacing Muhammad Ali Durrani as Information Minister. Though Shaukat denied any reshuffle in the Cabinet, he did not dismiss the impression that it could happen anytime.
Responding to a question, he said that no decision has been made so far regarding any reshuffle in the Cabinet. "There is no reshuffle in the Cabinet at the moment. You would know when it happens," the Prime Minister replied to a question.
He said that one or two ministers had resigned, for various reasons. He confirmed that an inquiry was being conducted against Mushtaq Victor, who is in the line of fire nowadays over alleged charges of human trafficking. The Prime Minister also dismissed the impression that assemblies were going to be dissolved in July, and said that he did not have the capability of 'fortune telling, and future predictions'.
About Presidential and parliamentary elections, he said that both elections would be held according to the constitution. He renewed his offer to invite the opposition for dialogue to frame a code of conduct for the next elections, saying that he would personally meet the heads of parliamentary parties in this connection, once the budget session was over.
"We don't have ego problem... we want to strengthen the democracy," he added. Commenting on a statement regarding PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif deal over who would be premier first, Shaukat said they should first wait for the results of coming general elections.
He made it clear that nobody would be allowed to plunder the country's foreign exchange reserves that now stand at $15 billion. He said some people were eyeing at the country's forex reserves, but people would not allow anybody to misuse $15 billion.
He said that Pakistan Muslim League would contest next elections along with its allied parties from one platform and preparations would be intensified in this regard after the budget session. About the National Finance Commission award, he said that all possible efforts had been made to reach a unanimous agreement between the centre and provinces but proved unsuccessful.
He said the government had announced a roadmap for next five years under which the percentage of provinces' share would be increased every year. He cited the ongoing power crisis as a result of growing demand of electricity, adding that the government was taking practical steps to overcome the lingering power crisis.
He said the government would generate 600 megawatts extra electricity from dams next week, whereas a new policy has been formulated to increase electricity production.