Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said that his criticism of the military spokesperson’s comments on the economy was not confrontational, but only meant to point out that every department has its own jurisdiction.
A day earlier Ahsan advised Major General Asif Ghafoor to refrain from commenting on national economy, triggering a strong backlash from the opposition parties who said every citizen of the country could comment on the economy.
Apparently unfazed by the opposition’s strong reaction, Ahsan said: “Only the finance and planning ministries as well as opposition parties should comment on economic affairs.”
While speaking to journalists at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington DC on Saturday, he further said that state institutions needed to be careful that their comments were not used by enemies to tarnish Pakistan’s image.
Ahsan was speaking hours after the military spokesperson, Major General Asif Ghafoor, said he was ‘disappointed’ by the interior minister’s statement. Borrowing a phrase from the military spokesperson’s press briefing, Ahsan said: “If the glass is half full, let’s spread hope that it will soon be full instead of making the masses feel disappointed.”
Earlier speaking at the forum, the minister said Pakistan progressed rapidly in the macroeconomic sector due to successful military operations and resulting improvement in the security situation of the country. The security forces and the nation’s determination had helped loosen the grip of terrorism over the country as compared to five years ago, he said.
Highlighting economic gains and successes on the security front over the past four years, Iqbal said that remarkable progress had been made in domestic macroeconomic sector through government’s prudent fiscal policies, resulting in an annual economic growth rate of more than 5.3%.
Major economic projects, such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), were under way that would soon generate business opportunities for foreign investors, he said.
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Citing various measures in the energy sector, the minister said the government had ensured the addition of 10,000 megawatts to the national grid. Expressing the hope that power shortages would soon be overcome, he said by reducing the energy shortfall, the government was keen to boost economic productivity.
The senior PML-N leader shared details of initiatives taken by the government to enhance education, empower women, improve healthcare and reduce poverty in Pakistan. He also sought support for the US-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor.
Discussing Pakistan-US relations, the minister expressed the hope that both countries, working as strategic partners over the past seven decades, would continue to work together in the future as well.
Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry also spoke on the occasion. The Forum was attended, among others, by officials of the US State Department, academics and members of the Pakistani-American community.
