Shehbaz phones Erdogan, invites him to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Monday called up Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and congratulated him on his election as president.

The premier also expressed warm wishes for the Turkish president and said reelection as president testified to his deepest association with the people of Turkey and their exemplary service. Shehbaz expressed hope that under President Erdogan, Turkey will continue to march on the road to development and prosperity.

The premier invited the Turkish president to visit Pakistan. President Erdogan also expressed his warm wishes for Pakistan. Meanwhile, throwing a barb at the PTI Chairman Imran Khan Niazi, the premier said he conveniently forgot his role in deepening the economic challenges.

“Looks like Imran Khan Niazi’s understanding of economy and the broader environment in which it operates is quite limited,” he said on his twitter handle. Shehbaz said from scrapping the IMF deal, Imran Khan always wished Pakistan to default.

“This is in addition to the adverse impact his politics of non-stop agitation, long marches and dharna has had on economy in terms of causing political instability,” he said. Shehbaz said even the Pakistani investors would shy away from investing their capital in such an instable environment deliberately created by Imran Niazi.

He pointed out that the terrible events of May 9 alone had cost the economy billions of rupees. “This is not to mention the plethora of corruption cases he is involved in,” he said. The prime minister said that they did face economic challenges but the doomsday scenario was past them.

He maintained that sincere efforts were being to address the challenges through economic belt-tightening and timely policy interventions. He pointed that the government was also working with friends and partners to bridge the financing gap where needed.

“The real challenge is to reduce dependence on imports and bring down inflation which is possible when we make exports, investment and productivity the engine of economy,” he stressed.