Lashing out: Sheikh Rashid asks govt to change finance minister

Says Dar failed to ascertain the direction of economic policies.

ISLAMABAD:

Taking jibes at Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, the Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid said on Wednesday that the government has failed to ascertain the direction of its economic policies since it took charge six months ago.

Rashid stressed that if the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz wanted to stay in power they should change their finance minister.

In his reaction to Ishaq Dar’s briefing to the cabinet, Rashid said that the finance minister is running the finance affairs like a confused chartered accountant. “Either Dar does not know the art of running the economy, or he does not want to accept his failure.”



AML chief said the inflation rate had soared up to 11 per cent, and, to make the matters worse, the government has printed currency notes worth Rs12 billion while the previous government had printed Rs6 billion.

Talking to Daily Express, the noted economist and former finance consultant Ashfaq Hussain said that with the current economy it would be difficult for the government to achieve the goals set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).



“The biggest problem is that Ishaq Dar and his team do not trust people. Most of their consultants are people holding important positions in the previous government and who have actually pushed the country to the verge of bankruptcy,” he said.

He added that the government should strengthen its team of economists by taking professional on board.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2^nd, 2014.