ISLAMABAD: The federal government has finally appointed former senator Shaheen Khalid Butt, a politician who belongs to Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), as Managing Director of Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM), more than nine months after the coveted slot fell vacant in March.
The new MD has assumed his duties at the PBM, said an official statement issued on Friday.
Butt retired as senator after completing his six-year term this March.
He was among the PML-N senators who were elected to Senate in March 2018, but were declared as independent lawmakers by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in consequence of Supreme Court’s July 2017 verdict in the Panama Papers case. Nawaz Sharif was removed as President PML-N in the aftermath of the apex court’s verdict — and all the decisions he took as party head after the issuance of the top court’s judgement stood nullified — including the award of tickets to PML-N candidates for March 2018 Senate elections.
Before Butt, the post of MD PBM was briefly held by Syed Tariq Mahmood ul Hassan.
A senior government official, requesting anonymity, told Business Recorder that Hassan, who was appointed as MD PBM by the federal government this February, stepped down in March, due to the reported reason that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had expressed strong reservations over his appointment, which prompted the government to convey Hassan to step down.
The PPP, it is learnt, wanted the slot of MD PBM to go to one of its members. The lingering delay in the MD’s appointment was reportedly linked to continued delay on part of PPP in joining the federal cabinet.
But, with the appointment of a PML-N member to head the PBM, the PPP appears unlikely to join the federal government—in the wake of apparent differences between the two political parties.
Before Hassan, the position of MD PBM was held by Amir Fida Paracha, who belongs to PPP. He quit last December to participate in February 8 general elections.
It merits mentioning here that Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), another attached department of the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety (PASS) Ministry, is headed by former senator Rubina Khalid, who also belongs to PPP.
Sources said that thousands of applications of the deserving persons seeking financial assistance from PBM remained pending in the office of MD PBM for approval in the absence of a regular MD.
Meanwhile, the new MD PBM has issued the directions for “implementing an inclusive strategy to protect the poor populace from the vicious cycle of poverty,” according to the official statement.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024