ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has strongly rejected the opposition’s criticism on the appointment of Dr Reza Baqir as the Governor of State Bank of Pakistan.
Winding up discussion on an adjournment motion in the Senate on Tuesday, Qureshi said that Dr Reza Baqir is the son of Pakistan and he has offered his services for the Country while leaving a better remuneration package at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The foreign minister said that the present government is seeking an IMF package because of the damage inflicted to the economy over the last 10 years. He said that our friendly Countries including Saudi Arabia, China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) gave the much needed balance of payment support but the gap is so huge that we have to go to the IMF to secure economic package.
However, he reminded the opposition parties that their governments in the past also approached the International lender for the bailout package.
The minister also emphatically said that there is no threat to the Country’s nuclear programme and China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. He said that that there was a national consensus on both the nuclear programme and the CPEC and it will stay intact.
Furthermore, he also dispelled the impression that the Country is heading towards One Unit or a Presidential system is being brought in Pakistan.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that announcing the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award every five years is a Constitutional responsibility and the present government will fulfill it. However, he regretted that the previous government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) failed to fulfill this constitutional requirement in its five year tenure.
Qureshi said that the president constituted the 9th NFC award but despite repeated requests by the former Finance Minister Asad Umar, the provincial governments especially delayed the process of nominating its representatives for the NFC award.
