LAHORE: Expressing resolve to steer the country out of prevailing economic situation, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said on Saturday that the PML-N turned around the economy in 2013 and it would successfully do the same in next few months.
“No doubt, there is very crucial time for the nation, but we will succeed in bringing the country out of the crisis,” Ahsan said while addressing a news conference, here at the PML-N Secretariat today.
The current coalition government is struggling hard to revive the badly destroyed economy after compromising its political stakes on national interest, he said, adding: “The economy was allowed to weaken from 2018 to 2021 during 4 years of the PTI rule, now, the country is bearing the burden of Rs5000 billion of debt services per year which was Rs1700 billion in 2018, almost 100 percent resources were being used for payments of debts and the country needed more loans to be run.”
Ahsan held Imran Niazi responsible for current financial crises. It was Imran Niazi who signed an agreement with the IMF and now the current government was bound to fulfil the conditions of the agreement.
To a question, the PML-N leader said that the dollar in the country was under pressure due to several reasons including big payments made by the government recently and purchase of dollars by Afghan traders. However, he said that the government was vigilant enough and taking steps to counter the challenge for dollar.
When asked about shortage of gas, he blamed Imran Khan for this shortage as the PTI government did not make agreement for LNG with Qatar in time on cheap prices.
To another query about barter trade with some countries, Ahsan said that the ministry of trade was making several agreements for barter trade.
Responding to a question about the next general elections, he said that according to a decision by the Council of the Common Interests (CCI), elections could not be held before the new national census, adding that the results of the census were expected in April 2023 and four more months were needed to prepare voters lists, so constitutionally, the next elections would not be possible before October.
He alleged that the PTI government during its tenure not only damaged the country’s economy but also ignored the law and order situation as well as war on terrorism. “The PTI was brought into power by giving NRO to Imran Khan Niazi through RTS system in 2018 elections and an illegible, inexperienced and incompetent government was formed,” he said, adding: “The PTI government through devaluation of currency and other inappropriate steps had thrown the country into the worst inflation and debts.”
Ahsan maintained that not a single word was said by any international financial institution about default of the country but the PTI and Imran Khan were continuously making drive to create a psychological atmosphere about it which was actually a hybrid war against the nation.
He said the PTI should shut their mouth if they could not take part in the building of the economy.
He alleged that now the PTI had launched a drive against international help to meet the financial burden due to climate change and flood.
“Is it nationalism?” he questioned.
About the local body’s elections, he said that the PTI should answer the question that who dissolved the local bodies and violated the orders of the Supreme Court. He made an appeal to the judiciary to eliminate the perception that Imran was always given a safe passage and the opponents of the PTI were even disqualified.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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