ISLAMABAD, Jan 21 (APP): Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar on Friday regretted that opposition parties always switched over to delivering ‘traditional speeches’ after they ended their arguments on the national economy just to criticize the government in an attempt to mislead the public.
Responding to PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal’s criticism on economic policies of the incumbent government, the minister said the Parliament was the best forum to give answers to the opposition’s misleading speeches on the national economy.
He said it was the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government that steered the country out of the economic crisis after coming into power in 2018 and brought back the growth rate to 5.5 per cent. “By this grace of Allah Almighty, more growth will be achieved this year.”
Hammad said the previous government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had left the current account deficit at $20 billion, adding “the PML-N government during its last 12 months, had cut down the reserves to half to achieve the 5.4% growth rate.”
He said the country’s debt mounted at a pace of $7 billion and circular debt increased by Rs450 billion. “After collapsing the national economy and getting loans, the PML-N managed to achieve a 5.4% growth rate.”
Contrary to it, the minister said, now the PTI government achieved a 5.4% growth rate, based on the tax-revenue collection, and the current account deficit was just $2 billion and foreign exchange reserves witnessed a $ 5 billion increase last year.
He said the economic growth achieved by the PTI government was being acknowledged by international credit rating agencies that upgraded Pakistan’s rating due to its prudent economic policies and effective handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Later, Speaker Asad Qaiser prorogued the NA Assembly session, summoned on January 10, on the conclusion of its business.
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