ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar told President Mamnoon Hussain on Sunday the international community was ready to help Pakistan tackle its energy crisis.

“Controlling energy crisis is the top priority of the government,” Senator Dar told the president.

Mr Dar called on the president at the President House and apprised him of the overall economic situation in the country.

The minister informed the president that during his recent visit to Washington to attend the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, he met deputy prime minister of Japan, finance ministers of Afghanistan, Iran, Qatar and the UK on the sidelines and discussed with them matters of bilateral economic cooperation.

He informed the president that economic measures taken by the government had been appreciated by the international community which had once again started looking towards Pakistan as a destination for Foreign Direct Investment.

Senator Dar also apprised President Hussain about his meetings with international financial institutions, banks, rating agencies, heads of OPIC, USAID, IFC and senior officials of the IMF and World Bank.

“International financial institutions are now favourably inclined to invest in Pakistan in line with priorities set by the government,” the finance minister said.

He informed the president that he had held in-depth discussions with them to attract investment in the energy sector particularly to commence work on the Dasu Hydropower Project and Diamer Bhasha dam.

Senator Dar assured the president that the government was committed to improving economic condition of the people and was following strict financial discipline, prudent policies, transparency, austerity and accountability.

President Hussain praised the efforts being made by the government to pull the country out of its economic difficulties and expressed the confidence that it would continue to work for the welfare of the people and to improve the economic condition of the country.