ISLAMABAD
Finance Minister (FM) Ishaq Dar has said the polls were not held within 90 days on the occasion of martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto and floods and they are not being held now too.
“Pakistan is member of IMF and World Bank (WB) and not a beggar. I cancelled my visit to US on the directives of Prime Minister (PM), he said this while addressing a press conference here Saturday.
He went on to say several speculations are circulating in media regarding my participation in IMF meeting. Some one is saying IMF has forbidden me. IMF can not forbid me. Pakistan is member of IMF and WB and not a beggar. IMF meeting schedule is issued several weeks earlier wherein finance ministers of different countries participate. Participating in meeting is not a strange thing, he added.
Constitutional crisis like situation prevails in the country. As a nation we are mired in a whirlpool. Upon it I cancelled my US visit under the directives of PM, he added.
I will participate in the meetings at Washington virtually in the wake of prevailing situation in the country, he stated.
Staff level agreement is going to be executed with IMF, he indicated. Spreading the rumors like country is becoming default is deleterious to country, he added. We will make Pakistan an economic power.
He underlined that Supreme Court (SC) has directed finance ministry to provide Rs 21 billion to election commission for polls. Federal government has been given the timeframe of providing the funds till April 10. The EC has been ordered to tell SC on April 11 in connection with receipt of funds. The responsibility lies with the finance ministry to provide funds.
He reiterated the previous government gave the financial and economic crisis to this government as gift. It has gone after laying explosive mines. Pakistan has made external payments of 11 billion dollars. We have not delayed the payments even for one minute. Which forces are pushing the country into crisis.
When Mian Nawaz Sharif was in power in 1998 then Pakistan conducted nuclear tests. At that time restrictions were slapped and we put the country on road to development.
