ISLAMABAD: Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar has said another ‘political drama’ being staged by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) would cause a huge economic loss to the country like its last year’s sit-in.
Any such activity always impacted the national economy negatively as nowhere in the world people’s businesses and state affairs were paralysed in the name of protest, he said while speaking in a private news channel programme. Ishaq Dar said PTI’s plan to shut down Islamabad was unlawful and unconstitutional. There was no logic to protest against the government after the Supreme Court had taken up its petition for hearing.
In fact the PTI was frustrated because of the speedy progress and development going on in the country and it was fearing defeat in 2018 general election, he added. Ishaq Dar said Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was elected by the people and he would continue serving them. He would not resign on the demand of a ‘mob’, he added.
He said the government was introducing long term policies to boost the economy. Economic indicators were improving day by day due to its prudent policies. The budget deficit had been reduced by 50 per cent than that of the previous government. He said there was a considerable decrease in the number of people living below poverty line from 61 per cent in 2002 to 29 per cent.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government, he said, had made a big increase in the financial assistance for the poor and needy under the Income Support Programme from Rs 40 billion to Rs 117 billion.
Ishaq Dar said Karachi was the country’s commercial hub and the Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif took steps in consultation with all the stakeholders, including business community, political parties and the provincial government, to restore peace in the mega city.
