ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Finance on Friday rubbished a news report questioning International Monetary Fund (IMF) association with a financial magazine who conferred the ‘Best Finance Minister of the Year South Asia” award upon Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, ARY News reported.
A leading English news site carried a news item questioning IMF’s association with the publication giving the award while Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan had even termed the award ‘bogus’ in a tweet posted today.
We knew Ishaq Dar’s budget figures were bogus but now we know even his awards are bogus.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 14, 2016
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Finance , in a statement, expressed disappointment over the assertions “made by few people who, with ulterior motives”, have been twisting the facts regarding the award of “Best Finance Minister of the Year for 2016” to Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar by Emerging Markets publication.
The spokesman made it clear that Emerging Markets is a financial trade newsletter that widely publishes around Spring and Annual Meetings of the IMF / World Bank and gives awards every year to Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors.
The email dated 4th October 2016 received from the publication had also clearly stated that “It is with great pleasure that we write to inform you that Emerging Markets, the newspaper of the IMF / World Bank Annual Meeting, has named you Finance Minister of the Year for South Asia”.
The statement released by the government also carried the same words.
Related: Ishaq Dar declared ‘Finance Minister of the year 2016 for South Asia’
The award was officially received by the Pakistani Ambassador to USA Mr Jalil Jilani in the official function held in Washington on 8thOctober 2016.
The publication’s website also carried an item which confirms that the finance minister was given ‘Best Finance Minister of the Year 2016, South Asia’
FINANCE MINISTRY’s TWEET WITH FURTHER PROOFS
Facts regarding the award of “Best #Finance Minister of the Year for 2016”, #Dar pic.twitter.com/ZETWHYzR1b
— FinanceMinPkOfficial (@FinMinistryPak) October 14, 2016
