Army chief has right to talk economy, insists Khursheed

SUKKUR: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah on Saturday took Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal to task for urging the spokesperson of Pakistan military not to make statements on economy.

Speaking to the media here, he cautioned that clash among institutions will lead to a dangerous situation, which will take a heavy toll on the country. He advised politicians to weigh their words while making statements in public.

“We should open our eyes to see where the country is heading,” he said, adding that the government will have to tread very carefully.

The Interior Minister in a statement on Friday urged the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) D.G. Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor to refrain from making statements on economy. “Such irresponsible statements can damage Pakistan’s global image,” he said in a statement.

Iqbal said the national economy is strong and stable than it was in 2013 and the government is executing the largest development budget in the country.

Reacting to the statement, the opposition leader further said anyone can comment on the economy. The army chief has right to talk about the national economy, he insisted, adding that the government should give a briefing to him over the state of economy.