Describing the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and the economy as a “lifeline” and “red line” of the incumbent government, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Friday slammed campaigns targeting the civil-military body as attempts to hamper national development.
“These are our red lines, which some disgruntled elements are trying to violate and trespass and they are surely doomed to fail,” he told a press conference alongside Commerce Minister Jam Kamal. Maintaining that efforts led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to attract foreign investment were bearing fruit and leading to economic stabilization, he said the government was dedicated to creating an enabling environment for foreign investors.
Regrettably, he said, the leadership of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was taking steps against the national interest and attempting to mislead the nation at a critical juncture for the economy. Recalling that members of the PTI had in the past attempted to get Pakistan’s GSP+ status revoked, he accused the party of resorting to a malicious campaign against the SIFC, the government and the armed forces to hamper national progress and development.
Tarar alleged elements within the PTI had “intentionally” targeted the SIFC on social media the same day that the U.A.E. pledged $10 billion of investment in Pakistan. He warned the government could tolerate similar attempts to malign him or his political party, but would not accept any attempts to sabotage the economy.
The information minister also criticized the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government’s decision to unveil its budget for the upcoming fiscal year before the federal government had taken the same step. “Normally, the federal government has to give budget estimates about receivables with allocations for their specific percentages for the provinces,” he said, alleging the KP government’s move was aimed at misleading the public by unilaterally setting its own for the receivables.
“How can they estimate the federal budget and declare 14 percent receivables by themselves?” he questioned, lamenting that chief ministers in three provinces were working for the welfare of the people, while a fourth was sowing chaos.
“We are ready to sit and work together with all provinces,” he said of the center, reiterating that the SIFC was at the forefront of all efforts for economic stabilization. The civil-military body, he said, enabled investment through one-window operations. It is unfortunate, he said, that the government’s political opponents were unhappy with successes on the economic and diplomatic fronts.