Rupee depreciation burdening MoFA, NA told
ISLAMABAD: Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Syed Hussain Tariq told the National Assembly on Friday that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) pays its diplomatic missions in dollars and that the sudden depreciation of the Pakistani rupee has put more pressure on the ministry’s finances.
“The ministry is providing funds in US dollars at an official exchange rate for converting pre-budget grants,” Tariq said in response to a question from MP Samira Bane, who belongs to the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA).
Bane sought clarification on reports that the old Pakistani embassy building in Washington would be used by the ambassador. She also asked when this building would be sold, since the auction had already been done.
Tariq said only one property was sold in Washington after the approval of an inter-ministerial committee made up of the Ministry of Finance and Finance and Housing. “No other property has been sold or bought by the ministry in the last five years.”
He said the previous embassy building was very old and the maintenance of the MFA was expensive.
“The auction process was completed by a broker engaged for the purpose and the highest bidder was awarded the property. The offers from Washington have been received by the cabinet,” he said.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) MP Mir Ghulam Ali Taper asked what the ministry’s plan was to sell its luxury properties and mission units to save the precious national treasury “as the country’s population and expatriates have grown, they are demanding more many resources”.
The secretary told the meeting that the MFA covers 90% of the expenses of its diplomatic missions from the budget allocation. The official told the house that embassies also generate money through visa services and other facilities to meet their needs.
Pakistan Tarek-e-Inca (PTI) MP Fajita Qajar has suggested budget deductions to improve the performance of Pakistan’s embassies. In addition, she asked about the dollar rate used to pay the expenses of diplomatic missions.
PPP MP also expressed concern over the lack of an embassy building in Iraq despite it being an important site visited by thousands of Pakistani pilgrims every year. She asked if the ministry was planning to set up an official embassy in Iraq, as the Pakistani embassy was now operating from a hotel.
The MFA official said that due to the disturbed situation in Iraq, the embassy was located in a hotel, where embassy staff are certainly available to properly facilitate the pilgrims. “There is a plan to build an embassy in Iraq,” he added.
