PM praises his economic team

Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday praised his economic team and stated it performed well in a difficult economic situation to steer the country out of the crisis and created investment-friendly environment to attract $ 1.5 billion investment inflows.
The Prime Minister in his remarks during the meeting of the federal cabinet stated that Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Planning have played their role and credit goes to them to bring the country out of difficult situation.
Pakistan''s economic situation is not as bad as predicted by the opponents, said the Prime Minister, claiming if it is so bad then why foreign investors are keen to invest in Pakistan.
"Suzuki Motor Company has decided to invest $ 450 million, Coke wants to invest $ 500 million, Pepsi wants another $400 million investment and ExxonMobil has decided to make immediate investment of $ 200 million," said the Prime Minister.
Additionally, he said that a foreign car manufacturer company, which is having a joint venture with a Pakistani company, has decided to invest $ 400 million immediately followed by another $ 900 million later on. The Prime Minister said that credit goes to economic team for creating an investment-friendly environment in the country.
The Prime Minister said US Special Envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, who was sent by the US President Donald Trump, held a meeting with him and sought Pakistan''s support to bring about peace and political settlement in Afghanistan.
The Prime Minister said he is happy that now the US is also recognising that there is no military solution possible in Afghanistan and eventually Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf''s stance is being accepted by everyone. "We will help political settlement in Afghanistan," added the Prime Minister.
On the Yemen issue, he said Pakistan took the initiative to bring about peace in Yemen and spoke to Saudi Arabia and Iranian foreign minister and Iran had given a go ahead to Pakistan for peace in the war-torn country.
He said unfortunately a sincere effort for opening of Kartarpur Corridor was given the colour that Pakistan wants political advantage. He said the government considers it its responsibility to facilitate the people of all religions in visiting their sacred places.
This is in the manifesto of PTI and not a new thing, he said while adding that Pakistan expects positive response from India in the same way. The Prime Minister said that everyone should be permitted to visit one''s religious places freely.
Meanwhile, the federal cabinet has decided to defer Gilgit-Baltistan Reforms Package for further consultations and expressed satisfaction over the performance of finance minister and foreign minister.
A meeting of the federal cabinet presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan formed a committee on anti-encroachment drive to be headed by Minister for State for Interior Shehryar Afridi, said Minister of State for Revenue Hammad Azhar and Special Assistant to Prime Minister Iftikhar Durrani while briefing the media persons after the cabinet meeting on Thursday.
Replying to questions, the minister of state for revenue said that all the powers rest with the State Bank of Pakistan with regard to exchange rate, however, a mechanism to inform the Prime Minister is under consideration. He said that talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will now be held in January 2019.
Durrani said that National Accountability Bureau is a constitutional institution and there is no control of the government over it. The meeting also decided to transfer 30 MMCfd gas from recent gas discovery at Zafir Gas Field to Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL), added the minister. The cabinet also approved Rs 25 billion subsidy for five zero-rated export industries.
Earlier, Durrani said that a total of 188 decisions were taken by the cabinet meetings during the tenure of the present government and 98 decisions have been fully implemented while implementation on the remaining is under process. This, he added, reflects contrast to the governance model of the previous government.
He said that a committee constituted with state minister of interior would develop a mechanism to save the traders and shopkeepers from the losses, Durrani said, adding the Prime Minister directed for continuation of anti-encroachment drive against the big land grabbers. He said the operation against big land mafia in the federal capital as well as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab would continue. The provinces have also been directed to continue anti-encroachment drive as land worth hundreds of billions of rupees has already been recovered from mafia.
The federal cabinet has also decided to increase the number of Islamabad High Court judges from 6 to 9 and approved reconstitution of the board of Karachi Port Trust and members of Law and Justice Division. The federal cabinet also ratified the decision of Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet and decided to start poverty graduation programme for which Rs 18 billion has been approved.
The cabinet also decided to transfer six functions of Economic Affairs Division to the relevant ministries which included tourism, social welfare and other functions. The meeting also ratified the decision of giving wheat to Afghanistan as gift.
Durrani said that the Prime Minister believes in transparency in sharing of information and wants that these must be published after verification as Secret Act applies to every one. He said that misleading news about the finance minister''s resignation was damaging for the country and the meeting approved measures for keeping the documents secret.