ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that there is nothing in foreign funding case as PTI’s audit reports are there for all to see. He said that he would vigorously fight with mafia single-handedly.
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday dissuaded government spokespersons from commenting on Chief Justice Khosa's statements in which he urged the prime minister not to taunt the judiciary over Nawaz’s removal from the ECL, sources told Geo News.
The foreign funding case also came under discussion during the meeting. The premier reportedly told participants of the meeting not to worry about the case. "No need to worry about the foreign funding case. PTI's audit reports are there for all to see," he was quoted as saying.
The prime minister was presiding over a meeting of government spokespersons where he told them not to react or respond to the comments made by Chief Justice Khosa.
"The government decided to send Nawaz Sharif abroad on humanitarian grounds and after consulting doctors' reports," Prime Minister Imran was quoted by sources as saying.
Prime Minister Imran also reportedly said that people were watching Nawaz’s activities in London. He said that the PTI would not play politics over Nawaz’s health.
According to sources, the prime minister said that opposition parties were using the case to keep their politics alive and build a narrative against the PTI. He said that opposition parties were worried as Pakistan's economy was improving. "Opposition parties know that once the economy improves, their political careers are over," he said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan has vowed that long term policies of the government will lead to economic stability of the country. He was addressing a ceremony of sales tax refunds in Islamabad on Wednesday and said Pakistan was facing a loss of 19.5 billion dollars when the incumbent government came into power. The rupee was under pressure and economic indicators were poor, he added.
Appreciating the work of government's economic team in a relative short period of time, the prime minister said the currency is now stabilising and stock market is continuously improving. He said export volume is also enhancing, which is good for overall economy of the country. He said he believes that improvement in long term policies of the country will further improve the economic image of the country, besides increasing trust of local and foreign investors.
The prime minister said Pakistan has potential more than many countries in the region, but it was not harnessed by previous governments. He regretted that lack of continuity in policies also led to adhocism in policy making. The prime minister said the government is successful in reducing the current account deficit for the first time in four years.
Terming the wealth creation essential for national development, he said the government will promote and facilitate the business community and industry. He said measures are also being taken to curb the menace of smuggling to benefit the national economy. Imran Khan said the tax registration by traders is vital for economic development as the government cannot be run efficiently without enhancing the revenues.
He congratulated FBR chairman Shabbar Zaidi and his team for enhancing the tax base. He urged the business community to take it as their national duty to pay taxes.
Earlier, the prime minister distributed cheques of sales tax refunds among representatives of various exporting companies.
The premier chaired a meeting to review issues related to Pak-Afghan Transit Trade and the way forward towards streamlining the transit trade mechanism for ensuring optimum and mutually beneficial utilisation of the arrangement. The meeting was attended by federal ministers Khalid Maqbool Siddique, Syed Ali Haider Zaidi, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, advisers Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Abdul Razzak Dawood, SAPM for Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Governor State Bank Raza Baqir, Secretary Commerce Sardar Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mehmood and other senior officials.
Secretary Commerce Sardar Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera gave a detailed briefing on the existing set-up under Pak-Afghan Transit Trade Agreement and various issues being encountered at operational level including the issue of smuggling back of the goods into Pakistani markets that adversely affects the industry of the country.
The prime minister in his remarks said that in view of the positive impact of socio-economic development of Afghanistan, the Government of Pakistan is committed to facilitate transit trade of the landlocked neighbouring country. However, the prime minister directed to ensure that the arrangement is not misused and does not hamper the growth of Pakistani industry. Reiterating that the growth of industry and boosting exports are the key priorities for the present government, the prime minister underscored the need for streamlining Pak-Afghan Transit Trade arrangement, in coordination with Afghan authorities, to create a mutually beneficial situation for the two countries and the region.
The premier also underlined the need for employing technology to preclude misuse of the arrangement by vested interests. The prime minister directed Ministry of Commerce to present a comprehensive plan, within three days, considering all operational aspects and identifying the required administrative measures, to ensure that a transparent corruption free arrangement capable of serving the intended purpose is put in place.
Prime Minister Imran Khan received a delegation of Buddhist monks led by the Most Venerable Won Haeng, President Jogye Order, the biggest denomination of Buddhism in the Republic of Korea, on Wednesday. He highlighted that Pakistan is the cradle of civilizations, making it a revered destination for the followers of three major religions, Buddhism, Sikhism and Hinduism.
The prime minister said that the visit of Buddhist delegation from South Korea would convey the common message of peace, harmony and understanding among all religions.
Pakistan has recently opened Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for Sikh pilgrims on 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak. He expressed hope that the visit of Jogi Order will promote people-to-people contacts by highlighting the historic cultural and religious linkages between the two countries, going back to the Buddhist Gandhara civilization.
The Most Venerable Won Haeng, President of Jogye Order, appreciated the efforts of Pakistan for preservation of Buddhist heritage. He thanked the prime minister for “promoting world peace and inter-faith harmony.” He expressed the desire to work with the government of Pakistan to promote Pakistan’s Buddhist heritage in the Republic of Korea and to encourage more religious pilgrims to visit Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday said the government was making utmost effort to fully benefit from Chinese expertise in agriculture sector, being part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
He maintained uplift of the agriculture sector was one of the top priorities of the government, having 50 percent share in Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
This he observed while talking to Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar here at the Prime Minister Office.
The prime minister said agriculture had been made part of the CPEC and it was utmost effort of the government to take full benefit from the Chinese expertise in the sector by introducing the latest technology and farming techniques to the farmers. “This will help improve the productivity of the agriculture sector,” he contended.
The prime minister expressed the confidence that Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, who has recently been given the portfolio of the Ministry of National Food Security, would fully devote his energies for the development of the agriculture sector.