March 11, 2002	Monday	Zilhaj 26, 1422

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

ISLAMABAD March 10: Federal minister for finance Shaukat Aziz has claimed that the country’s economy had successfully been put on the path of recovery and it was now in a position to meet additional expenses if required for boosting her defences. “We will make available any amount which is required by the armed forces in the event of breaking out war with the enemy”, he declared.

Speaking at a Seminar titled “Iqbal’s Pakistan” in commemoration of renowned journalist late Hameed Nizami on Sunday, the minister said the Indian armed build-up on borders was aimed at blocking the way of progressive economic recovery by Pakistan but the enemy’s designs he added had been foiled.

He said that the growth of record foreign exchange reserves (over $5 billion), upward surge of stock exchange, drastically declining inflation rate and the decreasing dollar prices were some indicators of country’s economic health.

Mr Aziz said that no doubt the country was passing through a very delicate phase of its history when it was facing numerous internal and external challenges. The country he said was facing huge armed build-up by the enemy but the nation was ready to defend its frontiers.

He blamed the Indian government of amassing its army on borders with an intention of stopping the wheel of economic recovery that Pakistan was successfully treading. However, the nation had sustained such pressures with courage and was ready to face any future challenges.

He paid rich tributes to the late Hameed Nizami for his services to the Pakistan movement and establishing supreme traditions of free journalism in this country.