Ishaq Dar categorically rejects rumours being spread by the opposition about default threats to Pakistan
LAHORE, Dec 10, (SABAH): Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar categorically rejected rumours being spread by the opposition about default threats to Pakistan. He said that the continuous statements of opposition saying Pakistan would default it is a wrong thinking. He said that the opposition is issuing irresponsible statements for politics, which is harming the credibility of Pakistan.
Addressing a ceremony organized by All Pakistan Textile Mills Association senior leader Gauhar Ijaz in Lahore on Saturday, the Finance Minister said the indicators show that Pakistan should have been part of the G20 if the pace of development is not derailed.
Ishaq Dar said wheat is being smuggled from our country and this must be stopped on a war footing. He termed the previous government’s period as the darkest period of the country in terms of economy
Ishaq Dar took a jibe at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) top brass, saying the PTI leaders were spreading baseless rumours about the economic situation. He said these speculations were damaging investors trust and creating uncertainty among them. “Pakistan’s economy is heading in the right direction and there is no risk of default,” said Ishaq Dar.
Ishaq Dar maintained that no more experiments can be done with the country’s economy as the country went through its “darkest economic periods” during the previous government’s tenure.
The minister said that the economy is going in the right direction and the country would not default. “The opposition is blocking avenues of investment by telling fake corruption stories. Pakistan won’t default just because the opposition has said so,” the finance minister said rejecting rumours of default.
Criticising the opposition for giving non-serious statements about politics, Ishaq Dar said: “The opposition’s frivolous statements damaged Pakistan’s reputation.”
Referring to Imran Khan’s statements about default, Ishaq Dar said that he should think that he was not serving the country by giving such remarks as it sends a “bad impression” to the international community.
The finance czar said that Pakistan’s economy is at the 46th position and that the country could have been a part of G20 nations given the pace at which it was going in the past. He added that the world kept talking about Pakistan defaulting even in 2013.
“We worked hard and delivered the budget in five days saving the country from defaulting in the process. We completed our program from 2013 to 2016, which only happened once in the country’s history,” the minister said recalling the decisions taken by his party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) during its previous tenure.
Commenting on the increase in dollar rates, the finance minister said that the rupee was devalued without thinking through during the PTI government. For a better economy, Ishaq Dar said that there is a need to improve economic indicators in the country and halt the smuggling of wheat from the country on a war footing.