BD minister rubbishes Pak claims on pre-war dues

LAHORE: Bangladesh Finance Minister AMA Muhith has heavily criticized Pakistan, calling it a "rogue country" making a "rogue claim" on pre-war dues.

“All moves by the Pakistan authority are roguish and the word ‘rubbish’ is appropriate for this Pakistani move,” the minister said after meeting a visiting IMF mission headed by Brian Aitken at the secretariat office.

He made this remark following a recent report that Pakistan is seeking $88m from Bangladesh in what it calls ‘outstanding dues’ from the 1971 Liberation War.  “I do not need to comment on the matter,” Muhith said. “It is utter nonsense and idiotic and what they have claimed have no valid documents.”

A recent State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) circular said the receivables and assets include land, buildings, furniture and fixtures, office equipment and vehicles, government securities, papers, loans, advances and investments. “We have already claimed for our pre-liberation war dues from Pakistan during the last couple of years, but they did not respond,” Muhith said. “Our minimum claim was $1.5bn and maximum $5bn, with valid documents.”

The minister said Bangladesh had asked the Pakistan authority not to pay the maximum sum of dues, “because then Pakistan was a poor country”. “We were generous to them, so we requested they repay dues in installments, but they did not listen,” the Finance minister said. “Now Pakistan is a rich country, and its per capital income is so high. (But) We do not need Pakistan now,” Muhith said, adding that the Pakistani economy was not near that of Bangladesh.