ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday demanded that Finance Minister Ishaq Dar must clarify whether International Monetary Fund (IMF) asked for Pakistan to give up its missile system.

The statement from PTI leader comes after Dar while speaking in Senate said that nobody has any right to tell Pakistan what range of missiles it can have, and also pointed out the “uncustomary” attitude of IMF.

Dar’s highly unusual statement comes amid Pakistan’s renewed efforts to mend ties with Beijing, which has lately saved Islamabad from the default by refinancing two commercial loans. But Islamabad is still waiting for the rollover of a $2 billion Chinese deposit that is maturing on March 23.

“Nobody has any right to tell Pakistan what range of missiles it can have and what nuclear weapons it can have. We have to have our own deterrence,” said Dar while speaking during a special Senate session in front of ambassadors of many nations.

Speaking at a presser, Qureshi said that the finance minister is the in-law of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and his statement on the Senate floor could not be ignored.

“This statement has created a new crisis in the country,” the former foreign minister said, adding that the Foreign Office spokesperson had to clarify during her weekly press briefing.

“The FO spokeswoman says that talks about nuclear power are not on the agenda of talks with any country or financial institution (then) why did Ishaq Dar give this statement on the Senate floor,” Qureshi questioned.

“Dar must tell us whether IMF asked you for a missile system. Why did you make such a big statement on the floor of the house,” he questioned.

“No one has the right to ask us about our nuclear programme,” maintained Qureshi.

“Our nuclear weapons are for our defence,” he said, highlighting that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Raza Rabbani has also asked the prime minister to give a policy statement on nuclear weapons.

Qureshi said that his successor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, should have issued a clarification.

The former foreign minister also demanded Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to give a policy statement on the issue in wake of Dar’s statement in Senate, saying why Dar made such a big statement.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023