Islamabad: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar rejected the speculations that the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund barred him from taking part in the meetings, saying that he had made preparations and would hold virtual meetings with the global financial institutions.
Ishaq Dar said Pakistan was the member of the IMF and not the beggar.
“Such unnecessary comments are not required,” said the Finance Minister while addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Saturday.
He said, “IMF cannot bar him from taking part in the meetings,”. He cited the constitutional crisis as the main reason behind cancellation of his visit to the US.
Dar said he cancelled his US visit due to the economic situation of the country as the federal government was directed by the Supreme Court to provide Rs21 billion to the ECP for elections.
He stated that the ECP was directed to submit report regarding the funds in the Supreme Court on April 11. He said the elections were being held but not within 90 days, adding that he did not know which powers wanted to harm the country.
In the given circumstances, he said, he dropped his visit to the US after permission of the prime minister.
The minister regretted over the speculation about his US visit, saying that some people were making different things–the baseless things.
He said a friendly country assure the IMF of provision of $2 billion to Pakistan while one another friendly country would give assurance about provision of $1 billion.
Dar said the delay in the deal with the IMF was not due to the present government but reiterated that Pakistan would soon finalize the ninth review.
Holding the PTI government responsible for the present economic crisis, the Finance Minister said that Pakistan would gain its lost economic value within the next few weeks and would retain its position. He said the country’s economy was heading towards the right direction.
He claimed that the PML-N government improved the economic status of the country as it was 24th economy in 2017 but the PTI government made it 47th economy.
“Pakistan will come out of this crisis and will progress. We will put on the path of development,” said the Finance Minister, regretting that a particular mind wanted to see Pakistan as a default state. Pakistan, he said, timely paid the due amounts.
He stated that the IMF put pre-conditions for the deal, vowing that every payment would be made timely in the future. He said they imposed taxes of Rs170 billion after the IMF’s conditions, hoping that the deal would soon be finalized.
