Dar & co responsible for present economic crisis: minister

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry Tuesday held former finance minister Ishaq Dar and his aides responsible for present poor state of country’s economy, saying that the PML-N government left behind severe economic crisis.

“They are Ishaq Dar and company who are responsible for present state of national economy,” Fawad Chaudhry said while taking part in debate on supplementary budget presented by the Finance Minister Asad Umar in the two houses of Parliament last week.

The minister said that Ishaq Dar who played havoc with country’s economy, flew to London in the then prime minister’s plane while making backache as an excuse, adding that persons who minted billions of rupees purchased Avenfield flats. “The nation knows very well those who brought the national economy to present state,” he said.

Fawad Chaudhry said the PML-N government meted out the treatment with Pakistan similar to that of East India Company with Sub-Continent increasing burden of public debt on the country which many generations would continue to pay. The minister, while referring to PML-N economic team, said they were very experienced persons but there was no economic vision or thought there. “On the other hand our Prime Minister took such steps like refusing to stay in 1100-kanal PM House and opted for three bedrooms home,” he said. He said the foreign exchange reserves are alsoat the meager level sufficient only to cover imports of one and a half months.

He maintained the PTI would fulfil each of its promise and ensure good governance to bring tremendous change in the country. “Let us compare our one month performance of PTI government with your government’s one year performance,” he said, adding the PTI government had tried to bring reforms ensuring that only the poor people get the subsidy and the affluent class gives their due tax.

He said that the gas price has only been increased by 10% percent for the poor segments of the society and 143% for high gas consumers. Fawad Chaudhry said that Radio Pakistan has no money to pay salaries to its employees whilst it has to pay Rs200 million to the pensioners. He said 500 contractual staff is working in the organisation and it would not be a good policy to fire them. He also referred to the protest staged against the leasing out of the building of PBC Headquarters building.

Information minister said the then government purchased 33 luxury and bullet proof cars worth Rs980 million for Saarc Conference in Pakistan. He also complained that the PML-N government also overloaded many departments with contractual employees who were their own people. Moreover, he said the Punjab government was paying Rs8 billion for metro bus projects while Rs20 billion would be required every year for keeping Orange Train on track.