Hussain resigns as adviser of Pakistan’s prime minister

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Institutional Reforms and Austerity Dr Ishrat Hussain has resigned from his post, officials said.

They said Hussain had sent his resignation leter to Prime Minister Imran Khan, but the reasons for the resignation were not known.

Hussain, who served as the governor of State Bank of Pakistan during the military regime of Pervez Musharraf, has not said a word on his resignation.

The prime minister has not yet accepted his resignation. However, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said he could neither confirm nor deny the reports about Hussain’s resignation.

Hussain had been a part of the federal cabinet with the status of a federal minister since August 2018 and had set up an Institutional Reforms Cell (IRC) at the premier’s office.

The IRC came into existence as a result of a cabinet decision on Aug.28, 2018, to serve as the secretariat of the Task Forces on Civil Service Reforms and Austerity and Restructuring of Government.

In almost every government, Hussain has been part of them in one way or the other.

He is basically a technocrat and most governments have tried to benefit from his experience.

He had been working for reforms in the civil service during the present government.

However, his initiatives have not been received well among the bureaucratic circles.

The top officials working with the prime minister are also unhappy with Hussain.

In a separate development, president Dr Arif Alvi stressed the need for an effective taxation system in the country to ensure ease of doing business and encourage people to join the tax-net.

Addressing at the public awareness seminar on Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) at the Aiwan-eSadr, the president said tax evasion could prove detrimental for economies and hindered the overall national progress. On the special interest of Alvi to apprise masses about the plaform of the FTO for speedy justice on tax-related grievances, the seminar gathered representatives from Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), chambers of commerce and relevant tax functionaries.