“We have not closed our eyes. We don’t have soft corner for India. We are not beggars,” said Dar. PHOTO: REUTERS
ISLAMABAD: Even as Pakistan and India moved to resume the stalled dialogue process, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday warned its eastern neighbour not to cast an evil eye on Pakistan’s economic prosperity.
Responding to an attention notice moved by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Sassui Palijo, Dar said “Pakistan’s next-door neigbour India could not digest Pak-China Economic Corridor Project deal.”
Palijo had initially drawn the attention of Defence Minister Khawaja Asif towards the destruction caused by the heavy mortar shelling by the Indian troops along the working boundary recently, but Dar rose to answer in the MNA's stead.
“We would give a befitting response to any Indian aggression [both on economic and war fronts]. It is [Indian aggression] directly linked to our recent economic stability particularly in form of Pak-China economic deal,” the finance minister told lawmakers.
Read: China-Pakistan Economic Corridor 'unacceptable', Modi tells China
The minister recalled that even Indian Premier Narendra Modi had expressed his concerns over CPEC during his recent visit to China, arguing that the economic corridor’s route was controversial. “But China has shown [Modi] the red flag,” he observed.
Dar said that the government has been taking up issue of cross-border violation at international forums as well as with India adding that Pakistani forces are also responding with full force.
“We have not closed our eyes. We don’t have soft corner for India. We are not beggars.”
Fake NOCs for Bulletproof Vehicles
During the proceeding, lawmakers expressed their concern over issuance of alleged fake NOCs by the Ministry of Interior for bulletproof vehicles.
Senator Talha Mahmood of Jammiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) informed the Senate that over three dozen NOCs which had been issued to various dignitaries were found to be fake.
“It is a serious matter. The government should take notice of it,” he observed.
Senator Azam Swati of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) too pointed out problems with the authenticity of his own NOC issued five years ago.
Credit Bureau Bill 2015 Passed
The Senate on Friday passed the Credit Bureau Bill 2015, which was moved by the finance minister.
The bill, which provides for the incorporation and functioning of the credit bureau, was approved after amendments proposed by the Senate Standing Committee on Finance.
Two important clauses included in the bill by the standing committee are: “Any credit information report issued by the credit bureau shall be verified by the State Bank of Pakistan. No credit information report issued by the credit bureau shall be valid unless verified by State Bank of Pakistan.”
Nomination of Senators for Parliamentary Committee on CPEC
The House through a motion authorised the Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani to choose seven Senators for a parliamentary committee to oversee the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Project.
Over 22b bailout package for PIA
The government told Senate that a total of Rs22.26 billion had peen given to bailout the national flag carrier and to improve its workings.
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