LAHORE
Finance Minister (FM) Ishaq Dar has said Pakistan will never default.
“this country will never go default. Had IMF program not been there we were active for Plan-B. The efforts made by Prime Minister (PM) in connection with IMF agreement are appreciable, he said this while addressing a press conference along with the PM Shebaz Sharif in Governor house Lahore.
He said certain people inside and outside Pakistan kept on fomenting despair Pakistan will go default. They too kept on saying that they would not be able to pay one billion dollars. However bond was paid during Shahbaz Sharif tenure of premiership.
Neither we delayed payment of bond nor we resorted to Paris club. We have made every payment in time.
He held during previous government tenure, loss was caused to Pakistan economically. Certain people kept on floating misleading rumors of default.
We will again make Pakistan 24th economy.
What PM and government have made promises in budget will be implemented fast.
Giving credit to PM for execution of agreement with IMF, FM said I was avoiding to levy more taxes of Rs 215 billion and curtail expenses to the tune of Rs 85 billion but PM has assured me of his cooperation .
Government will take its foreign reserves to 14-15 billion dollars till the completion of its tenure.
