Senator Faisal Vawda has called it “highly shameful” that foreigners are advising Pakistan on how to manage its internal affairs.

His remarks came during a Senate Standing Committee on Finance meeting, chaired by Saleem Mandviwalla, where the Ministry of Finance briefed lawmakers on electricity subsidies.

Officials from the finance ministry proposed limiting electricity subsidies to beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).

However, committee member Senator Anusha Rahman strongly opposed subsidies, stating that they should be eliminated.

“After targeting women, do you now want to turn the entire nation into beggars?” she questioned.

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Another member highlighted the need to resolve Rs33 billion in outstanding electricity subsidies for Karachi’s industrial sector.

Ministry officials responded that the matter remains sub judice as K-Electric has obtained a stay order from the court.

Meanwhile, Senator Farooq H. Naek expressed deep concern over the state of affairs, saying, “I have concluded that no one truly cares about Pakistan.”

He pointed out that revelations made by an Iranian diplomat should serve as a wake-up call.

The committee also discussed the issue of 600 Iranian trucks stranded at the Pakistan-Iran border.

An Iranian diplomat explained that under a 1987 agreement, bank guarantees were required for trade, but this condition was removed in a 2008 agreement.

However, Pakistan has reintroduced the bank guarantee requirement, causing financial losses of approximately $2.2 million per day.

He further revealed that some Iranian truck drivers have been waiting at the border for over a month.

“The core principle of our bilateral trade agreement is the free movement of goods,” the diplomat stressed, urging Pakistan to develop Gwadar Port to facilitate trade.

Senator Naek remarked that the Iranian diplomat’s briefing was “eye-opening” and “a matter of national disgrace.”

He insisted that the issue be escalated to the Prime Minister and discussed at the federal cabinet level.

Senator Faisal Vawda echoed these concerns, saying, “The Iranian officials have exposed the situation completely. It is shameful that foreign officials are teaching us how to manage our country while we continue to suffer daily losses of $2.2 million.”

He criticised the committee’s inaction, demanding that those responsible for policy decisions be held accountable.

Chairman Mandviwalla acknowledged the gravity of the trade impasse with Iran, citing restrictive customs regulations as a major hurdle.

Customs officials clarified that while bank guarantees are not required for barter trade, they are mandated for general bilateral trade, preventing third-party goods from entering Pakistan via barter agreements.

The Senate Standing Committee on Finance has now referred the matter to the federal cabinet, urging immediate intervention to resolve trade barriers with Iran.