Cabinet members shy away from austerity plan.

ISLAMABAD -- Despite a strict austerity policy announced by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif last month, his cabinet colleagues and subordinate senior officers have given a hoot to the fiscal restraint measures.

A meeting of the monitoring committee on implementation of austerity measures presided over by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar was informed that more than half of the luxury vehicles given to cabinet members, parliamentary secretaries and chairmen of standing committees had not been returned to the cabinet division that maintains the federal government's central pool.

Not staying behind, many senior bureaucrats were also using official sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and sedan cars above 1800cc despite the austerity policy approved by the federal government in February. The policy has not even impressed the senior judiciary and parliamentary forums, noted the meeting that did not discuss implementation of austerity measures in the armed forces.

Takht-i-Babri workshop

Separately, the petroleum division has rather gone a step further by convening a three-day retreat at the historic Takht-i-Babri (Kallar Kahar) for a workshop on 'Strategic Roadmap for Petroleum Sector'.

Compliance report says 16 luxury vehicles still in use, functionaries returned only 14 of 30 SUVs, sedan cars

It has called between 40-80 of the who's who of the public sector's oil and gas entities and companies to fly in from as far as Karachi and Quetta while from Islamabad the entire petroleum division and its attached departments would participate.

To spread out the expenditure, all the executives have been asked to spend out of their respective entities' accounts for air-travel, logistic support and accommodation.

Petroleum division spokesperson retired Captain Shahbaz confirmed that the strategic roadmap development workshop would be a closed event by invitation to petroleum division organisations.

He declined to share the total expenditure, saying there would be 'bare minimum expenses'. InterAestingly, some of the companies like OGDCL and others have vast conference halls within their buildings.

Luxury vehicles

Informed sources said the meeting, presided over by Mr Dar, was told in a compliance report that out of 30 luxury vehicles, 14 had been returned by cabinet members or other functionaries while 16 were still in use.

A statement issued by the finance division, however, said that a...