September 20, 2008	Saturday	Ramazan 19, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Sept 19: President Asif Ali Zardari has said that the government is capable of reviving the country’s sagging economy.

“The country is facing an economic crisis but the government is striving to ensure implementation of effective policies for stabilising the national economy,” the president told International Monetary Fund’s Director for Middle East and Central Asia, Mohsin S. Khan, during a meeting with him on Friday.

President Zardari said Pakistan needed development partners but it was also capable of managing its economy in accordance with sound and recognised principles.

“The national economy is resilient enough to withstand the shocks it faced recently and has the capacity to adjust itself to such shocks,” he added.

The IMF director highlighted the relative importance of monetary and structural supply-side factors for inflation.

He stressed the need for persisting with sound economic policies and broad-based structural reforms.