KARACHI, Jan 15: There “is absolutely no possibility of any war tax in Pakistan,” Federal Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz emphatically said here on Tuesday before a meeting of all top bankers — Pakistani and foreign — at the State Bank of Pakistan.

One of the top bankers, who attended the meeting, said the finance minister did say that there was some financial impact of the tension and troop movement as a result of Indian threats but was confident to declare that “we will manage it within our own resources.”

According to the bankers, Shaukat Aziz made it clear that there was no possibility of government imposing a war tax in the coming weeks and months.

Earlier, talking to newsmen at the conclusion of a seminar on “Challenges and Potential

of Small and Medium Enterprises,” the finance minister said Pakistan economy had sustained the financial impact of troop movement on the borders which had become inevitable in the wake of the stand-off with India.

“We have ample resources to offer much more on the defence spending of the country,” he declared in a firm tone, while responding to a question from a journalist.

He made it clear that there was absolutely no financial imbalance because of the current situation that warranted troop movement in the country.

The minister informed the newsmen of the issues to be taken up for discussion with the visiting US Under Secretary of Economic Affairs Alan Larson on Wednesday. “We intend to seek medium-and long-term assistance, greater market access and discuss issues relating to debt rescheduling,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said, a three-day seminar was being organised in the last week of the current month at Islamabad by the Human Resources Development Forum in which 100 participants, drawn from all donor agencies, were expected to attend.

“President General Musharraf is inaugurating the seminar that will take up all the issues related to human resources development and poverty alleviation,” the minister added.

The poverty issue was being addressed in all its aspects.