- FIA report warranted stricter action
Following the release of a much-awaited report by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on last year’s ‘sugar crisis’ that named senior PTI leaders and cabinet ministers, Prime Minister Imran Khan has reacted by merely reshuffling his cabinet, something he has already done twice before in less than two years. Much of the focus of the report has been on Mr Jehangir Tareen, who until recently was a close confidant of the PM and a central figure within the party. He has now pointed fingers at the PM’s Principal Secretary Azam Khan for running a smear campaign against him, which clearly shows that significant fissures have developed in the party and at the centre. Meanwhile, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiyar, who quite ironically was the Minister for Food Security, resigned in light of the report and instead of being sent on his merry way, has been elevated in the food chain, landing the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Razzaq Dawood’s role has also been rolled back some, as his Industries portfolio has gone to Hammad Azhar, who lost his to Mr Bakhtiyar.
Although Mr Khan is now waiting for a ‘full report’ after the FIA has conducted a detailed forensic audit of the accused sugar mills/millers to take ‘action’, his initial reaction comes off as a slap on the wrist. For the ministers who are also mill owners, the advisors who pushed for the approval of the export of sugar and the bureaucrats who facilitated it, it will be business as usual, just different offices. Mr Asad Umar, who was Finance Minister and head of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) when the export of sugar was allowed in 2018 with a subsidy, has not and quite possibly will not be questioned. It was up to him as head of the ECC to determine whether or not the export of sugar would adversely affect the domestic price, which is exactly what happened, and this is the primary allegation in FIA’s report. Sugar mill owners have a convenient and easy defense in all of this; the government asked us to export and we did exactly that, so what is the fuss about?
Mr Khan in a recent media interaction stated that the buck stopped with him and that no decision was taken without his knowledge or approval. What he does next remains to be seen, but what is abundantly clear is that he has not made an example out of anyone in light of the inquiry he himself ordered. He should stop patting himself on the back and perhaps formulate policy and legislation that restrict such conflicts of interest and keep a better check on commodity dealings between the government and private companies.
