Finance minister Ishaq Dar calls on his UAE counterpart
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Finance Senator Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday that the government put the economy on the right track through the enforcement of financial discipline.
He said problems confronting the economy will be tackled very soon.
Ishaq Dar, who is having a series of meetings with the ruling elite of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), had yet another important meeting on Wednesday with Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, deputy ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance and Industry of the UAE.
During the meeting, Ishaq Dar said Pakistan cherishes the close friendly ties with the people and the leadership of the UAE.
A day earlier he had a key meeting with Sheikh Muhammad bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, ruler of Dubai and vice president and prime minister of the UAE, in Dubai and handed over a special message from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif regarding subjects of mutual interest.
Ishaq Dar told the UAE dignitaries that Pakistan’s industry had started showing a positive growth of 5.2 percent. He said revenue collection in January 2014 was Rs167 billion indicating an increase of 26 percent over the collection of the corresponding period last year which was a positive sign of achieving the full year’s target.
It is understood that the visit of Ishaq Dar and his meetings with the UAE leaders would greatly help improving the ties between the two countries.
Ishaq Dar discussed with his UAE counterpart matters of bilateral interests and the minister reminded him that the foundation of the close and fraternal relations between the brotherly countries was laid by the founding leaders of the UAE the late Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum praised the capabilities of the leadership of Pakistan and expressed his optimism that it would soon overcome the challenges confronting the country.
He assured that his government would extend all possible cooperation for the economic development of Pakistan and extended his best wishes to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He appreciated the invaluable contributions of the expatriate Pakistani community in the development of UAE.
Ishaq Dar maintained that the government believed in the market economy and the facilitation of businesses to enhance economic growth. He said Pakistan’s industry had started showing positive growth.
“The prospects of utilising natural gas in Pakistan are bright as the government is incentivising oil and gas exploration to overcome energy shortages by tapping indigenous natural resources and soon come up with a new exploration policy,” the visiting minister said.
Sheikh Hamdan also recalled his visit to Karachi 11-12 years back and remarked that the city had since expanded. He took keen interest in the developmental activities in Pakistan.
Ishaq Dar told his interlocutor that both Karachi and Lahore had expanded and developed rapidly while Lahore, which had developed recently as a comparable city, was attracting many people in Pakistan.
