ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government Saturday denied having issued instructions to stop pension and salary payments, terming reports to that effect “completely false” after it stoked fresh anxiety about cash-strapped Pakistan’s plight.
Pakistani daily The News reported Saturday that the finance ministry had asked the authorities to “stop clearing all federal ministries and attached department’s bills until further orders”.
“Even the clearance of salary bills has also been stopped,” claimed the report which quoted “top official sources” as saying “operational cost-related releases faced difficulties mainly because of lingering financial difficulties being faced by the country. ”
Finance minister Ishaq Dar tweeted that “fake news” was being spread to “cause harm to the national economic interests”. “Kindly refrain from circulating such reports and news. ”The finance ministry termed the report “rumours”. “This is false as no such instructions have been given,” the ministry said. “The accountant-general of Pakistan revenue has confirmed that pay and pension have already been processed and will be paid on time,” the ministry said.
Pakistani daily The News reported Saturday that the finance ministry had asked the authorities to “stop clearing all federal ministries and attached department’s bills until further orders”.
“Even the clearance of salary bills has also been stopped,” claimed the report which quoted “top official sources” as saying “operational cost-related releases faced difficulties mainly because of lingering financial difficulties being faced by the country. ”
Finance minister Ishaq Dar tweeted that “fake news” was being spread to “cause harm to the national economic interests”. “Kindly refrain from circulating such reports and news. ”The finance ministry termed the report “rumours”. “This is false as no such instructions have been given,” the ministry said. “The accountant-general of Pakistan revenue has confirmed that pay and pension have already been processed and will be paid on time,” the ministry said.