LAHORE: Expressing resolve to make the country’s economy strong, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal said on Sunday the incumbent government is working tirelessly to solve the issues facing the country.

While addressing a press conference, here today, Ahsan maintained that Pakistan wants access to US trade markets as well as US technology in several sectors. He added the US markets provide a huge platform for the progress of our businesses. He said the European Union (EU) granted us GSP Plus status as well as huge markets. However, Imran Khan started to challenge the EU just to save his politics.

Ahsan Iqbal criticised Imran Khan for playing with the country’s interests in a bid to keep his failed politics alive and pamper his ego. “Imran Khan termed the no-confidence motion against his government as an international conspiracy but the National Security Committee has twice stated that as per probe done by the country’s top intelligence agencies, no conspiracy has been found in the diplomatic letter,” Ahsan said, adding: “Imran Khan questions courts’ verdicts during his public gatherings.”

Ahsan maintained that courts were opened at midnight to stop violation of the Constitution. He said that the former PTI Government insulted the Supreme Court by not following its verdict regarding local governments.

Ahsan slammed Imran Khan for making the Election Commission controversial as he (Imran) knows the expected decision by the Election Commission of Pakistan in the Foreign Funding Case.

To question, Ahsan said the new government will not make any baseless case against its opponents.

“We are working hard under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership to steer the country out of prevailing crises and resolve public issues by checking inflation and ensuring good governance,” he said, adding: “Pakistan will keep moving forward and we will make the country’s economy strong again.”

Ahsan said China gifted us the CPEC mega project which was damaged by the previous government, during whose tenure, investment not worth even one dollar came into the country. He said the PTI government did not launch work even on a single industrial zone under CPEC out of nine, which were supposed to be completed by 2020. He said steps are being taken to speed up work on projects under CPEC.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022