More than enough

Managing state-machinery is the responsibility of heavily paid bureaucrats and cabinet members. The constitution empowers the prime minister to have five technocrats or experts as advisers or special assistants from outside parliament to work as federal ministers or minister of the state. Administering an oath of office is an essential requirement as they participate in parliamentary proceedings. Even though they can't vote, they can reply to questions relating to their department.

Shaukat Tarin was appointed as finance minister with the promise that a seat in parliament would be vacated to ensure his continuity as finance minister before the six-month appointment expires. Tarin was negotiating with the IMF when his deadline expired and immediately news began to float that he would continue as adviser to the prime minister, for which a fresh oath of office is required before he can continue negotiations with the IMF. Was the government not aware of this time frame? It seems that the people of Pakistan will once again face the brunt due to troubles during the negotiation process.

Ali Ashraf Khan

Karachi