ISLAMABAD: Accusing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan of derailing the country’s economy, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar challenged the former prime minister to hold a “live debate” to find out. Who pushed the South Asian nation into the current economic crisis? .
In a televised address aired after the PTI chief’s presser, Dar criticized the policies of the Khan-led government and accused them of colluding with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In order to give him an opportunity to dictate Pakistan’s economic affairs. .
“The IMF is now dictating economic policies and Khan was responsible for that because he made mistakes in running the economy,” the finance czar said, criticizing the massive devaluation of the rupee against the US dollar. After doing so, the IMF’s ninth review was delayed. program, and closure of many industries.
Dar, who replaced Miftah Ismail as the finance minister in September last year, recalled that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government had projected gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6.1 percent in 2018. Left on percentage.
He said that during the tenure of the PTI-led government, the net GDP increased to $26 billion, while it increased by $112 billion during the last tenure of the PML-N from 2013 to 2018.
Reacting to Pakistan PTI chairman Imran Khan’s statement on the country’s economy, he said, “During our [PML-NK] previous tenure, international rating agencies had predicted that Pakistan would be among the G20 by 2030. I will join.”
‘Concocted false economic figures’
Terming Khan’s speech as “full of lies”, Dar said the PTI chief presented “fabricated and false economic figures”, which were not based on reality.
He claimed that today’s economic crisis and inflation are due to the wrong economic policies of Khan’s government.
The finance minister said that we had a choice to save the country or our politics, but we sacrificed politics for the sake of the country.
Dar added that the per capita income during the last tenure of PML-N was $1,798, which decreased to $1,768 during the PTI government.
He said that the rate of inflation was 8.6 percent in the former PML-N government, which reached double digits during the PTI regime.
He further said that in addition to this, the inflation of food items was 2% during the previous regime of PML-N which reached 12% during PTI’s regime.
The finance minister added that foreign direct investment was negligible during Khan’s regime, which reached $2000 million during PML-N’s rule.
The minister maintained that Khan “continues to tarnish the image of the country in his speeches during foreign visits,” questioning “how can investment come into the country” [in such a manner]?
He pointed out that the current account deficit in the previous PML-N government was $19.2 billion, due to efforts to “end the scourge of terrorism and load shedding”.
He recalled that there was a time when Pakistanis were facing 18-hour load shedding in the country, which was abolished by the PML-N government.
He claimed that the country’s exports and current account deficit improved during the previous PML-N government.
The minister said: “The previous Khan government destroyed the country’s economy and damaged the country’s image and economic reputation.”
