The spokesman of the Ministry of Finance has rebuffed the media reports regarding claims of a meeting of Deputy Minister of Economy, of Panama, Ivan Zarak with Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar in Washington. The Finance Ministry spokesperson said that claims of Zarak during interview with foreign media about his meeting with Dar were baseless, unfound and extremely surprising.
He said Finance Minister had cancelled his visit to Washington D C where he was scheduled to participate in the WB/IMF Spring Meetings from 14-17 April. How could Ivan Zarak meet Finance Minister when the latter has not even left Pakistan in the last many weeks? Finance Minister is very much in Pakistan and performing his day to day duties, which are being covered by the media as well. Pakistan's Finance Ministry is represented in World Bank/ IMF Spring Meetings, currently in progress, by Federal Finance Secretary Dr Waqar Masood Khan due to cancellation of visit by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. The matter was being taken up with the foreign media for wrong reporting, the spokesman added.