Pakistan has repaid $11 billion debt in past few months: Ishaq Dar

ISLAMABAD, April 08 (SABAH): Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar will virtually attend the upcoming annual spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund.

This was stated by the Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in a video statement on Saturday. He refuted the impression of some media outlets that he has pulled out from the planned meeting.

He said our team will be participating in the scheduled meetings as per routine whereas he will attend important meetings virtually.

Quoting prevailing political situation of the country, the Minister said the decision to participate in IMF meeting virtually was taken as Supreme Court of Pakistan has asked the government to provide funds to Election Commission of Pakistan to hold elections in Punjab.

Ishaq Dar said Pakistan has repaid 11 billion dollars debt in past few months. He expressed hope that soon staff level agreement with IMF will soon be finalized. He said that the government has completed its work regarding the IMF program.

He said government is planning to bring new schemes for the development of the country. He said provision of fuel subsidy to motorcycles and 800cc cars is under consideration. Ishaq Dar said that so far all the quires of the IMF have been responded satisfactorily, adding that this subsidy is not included in the budget.

Ishaq Dar said that the current government has not made Pakistan 47th economy of the world, adding that the PML-N had made Pakistan 24th economy of the world and the international financial institutions had predicted that Pakistan will include in the 20 big economies of the word in few years. Ishaq Dar said that through a conspiracy the Panama drama was staged and selecting someone of own choice and after rigging the elections imposed such government which brought Pakistan to 47th economy of the from 24th economy of the world in just four years tenure. He said that this is reason due to which Pakistan is facing economic crisis. Ishaq Dar said that not only Pakistan will come out of this crisis but it will move towards becoming the 24th economy of the world again. He said that the direction of the economy of the country is changing and in upcoming weeks and months Pakistan will move towards the destination of progress and will secure its real position in the international committee of nations.