WASHINGTON: Federal Minister for Finance & Economic Affairs Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Friday said that Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav will not be granted consular access as he is a spy.
“It is a law and commonly known that where there is a charge of treason or spying, consular access is not allowed” Ishaq Dar told a gathering in an American Think Tank “Heritage Foundation”.
Dar maintained that Pakistan is having a military operation against terrorists across the country and will not tolerate those who working against the security of the country.
To a question the Pakistani Finance minister said that world leaders should play their role for the stability of the region.
“Kashmir is the longstanding dispute between India and Pakistan and I am optimistic that the Trump Administration would play the role of mediator to solve the Kashmir issue”.
“Future of millions of people of the region (Kashmir) is linked to the peace and stability of the region”, he added.
The Finance Minister also rejected the allegations leveled against the nuclear assets of Pakistan in an article published in New York Times.
Dar specifically stated that Pakistan’s nukes are completely safe and the country’s command & control system as well as nuclear safety regime remain robust and are at par with international standards.
He reminded the audience that Pakistan also works closely with the international community and IAEA in the areas of nuclear safety and security.
About the unrest in Afghanistan, Dar maintained that the only lasting solution for peace in Afghanistan is an Afghan- led and Afghan-owned politically negotiated settlement.
‘Economic turnaround’
In his concluding remarks, Minister Dar urged the US Companies and investors to benefit from the attractive business and investment opportunities available in Pakistan.
He claimed that that after assuming power in 2013, PML(N) Govt immediately undertook concerted efforts to stabilize ailing economy.
The finance minister said that the PML-N government has vigorously pursued 4Es strategy focusing on Energy, Economy, Elimination of Extremism and Education (Social Sector/Health). Structural reforms were introduced which included reducing un-targeted subsidies and broadening tax base coupled with building Foreign Exchange Reserves and curtailing inflation rates.
“Tax collections have increased by 60% over the last 03 years which is a complete break with the past,” he added.
Minister Dar remarked that due to the prudent fiscal and monetary policies, Pakistan has witnessed a strong economic turnaround which is evident in GDP growth rebound, low to moderate inflation, stable rupee and remarkable increase in foreign exchange reserves.As a consequence, all key economic indicators have recorded significant improvement over past four years.
“For the first time ever, Pakistan successfully completed IMF’s Extended Fund Facility Program. Pakistan has also successfully re-entered Bond and Sukuk market while the country’s ratings have been improving,” said Dar.
