Finance Minister Asad Umar on Thursday said that the incoming Saudi Arabia’s bailout package, which appears to be the “biggest foreign investment in Pakistan’s history”, would be announced soon.
Addressing an event in the federal capital, Asad said that the announcement related to the package would be made following the cabinet’s approval.
The minister added, “I am being conveyed messages from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman “through other people to hurry up” for the materialization of talks related to the investment package.
Further, the minister said that no society could progress without eradication of corruption. “The public asks me [all the time] when will thieves be caught,” he told reporters.
“Justice demands that if a pickpocket is to be punished, so should looters be,” the finance minister stressed.
Asad remarked that Prime Minister Imran Khan had given clear directives to all his cabinet members to bring about a visible change and strengthen all institutions.
On Wednesday, the finance minister during an interview to a British news channel said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had devised a strategy to make the upcoming International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme the last one for Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Islamabad has started approaching other friendly countries to cushion the Pakistan’s current economic situation, the minister added.
Published in Daily Times, December 14th 2018.
