PAT issues factsheet on Finance Minister’s ‘statement’ about loss to economy due to sin-in

It is not the sit-in but rampant corruption, flood, failure to control load-shedding and incompetent cabinet are responsible for destroying economy and making every Pakistan indebted to the tune of Rs. 100,000 per capita. The facts and figures submitted by accountant Ishaq Dar to the National Assembly regarding loss caused to economy due to sit-in are misleading and self-concocted. Pakistan had become bankrupt in 1999 as well due to failed economic policies of Ishaq Dar. Circular debt to the tune of Rs. 500 billion, oil and gas theft of Rs. 40 billion, two metro bus projects of Rs. 100 billion and artificial petrol shortage are some of the major mega scandals during the incumbency of the present government.

The factsheet issued by the central media office of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) in response to Ishaq Dar’s self-concocted figures regarding economic losses caused by the sit-in has further maintained that the Federal Finance Minister cannot fool the nation by telling them make-believe stories. It has been pointed out that the Finance Minister established a new record by taking a foreign loan of $ 6 billion and a domestic loan of Rs. 2000 billion from local banks, which resulted in destruction of Pakistan’s economy and pushed the country in the lap of the IMF for a bailout at costlier terms and conditions.

According to the factsheet of PAT, the third quarterly report 2015 of the State Bank of Pakistan revealed that profit on the capital sent abroad registered an increase whereas the foreign direct investment registered decrease with the result that the country’s economy has been shackled in the web of loans. The report of the State Bank has unmasked the faces of corrupt rulers and their front men as to how the national wealth is being transferred abroad in the form of profit from the loot and plunder.

According to the factsheet, World Bank told in a report on March 21, 2015 that Pakistan’s economic reform agenda is threatened by corruption, discontinuity in economic policies, reduction in foreign direct investment, and natural calamities. The PAT statement has maintained that whopping sum of money which is claimed to have been spent on the security during the sit-in does not happen to be even half of what is spent annually on the security of the Prime Minister’s House Islamabad and Jati Umra Lahore. The thousands of police officials were served with delicious food in the name of security and national wealth was wasted like water to get the ‘attention’ of the members of the opposition. The government ran a publicity campaign to showcase its so-called performance with a handsome amount of Rs. 450 million. The factsheet asked as to what relation a publicity campaign has with security arrangements.

The factsheet has asked the Federal Finance Minister five questions:

• Why was the system of plunder strengthened through politics deal-making instead of controlling corruption?
• Why have $200 billion stashed abroad in Swiss banks not been brought back to the country despite a promise made by the Minister time ago? Why is silence being maintained on this issue?
• Why is the Finance Minister silent on the gas and theft scandal of Rs. 40 billion during the incumbency of the present government?
• The people were robbed of Rs. 60 billion through an artificial petrol crisis. The ministers made confession by seeking public apologies. Why has none of them punished for this robbery?
• Today traders are protesting. Why are they shutting down their businesses and holding strikes and who is responsible for this loss to economy?

The factsheet quoted the statement of the former Chairman NAB who had said that Rs. 4000 billion are lost in the form of corruption every year. It asked the Finance Minister to tell as to how much reduction was noted in this huge volume of corruption. The PAT statement said that the government wants to hide its incompetence behind the sit-in but the people are not simpleton. It said that they understand the gimmickry of rulers and would not neglect the government’s incompetence and economic crimes.