ISLAMABAD, Jan 31: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) says there is nothing big in the Musharraf regime's claim that it has paid $1 billion debt back to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Commenting on the reports that regime has paid $1 billion debt to the ADB, spokesman for the PPP, Senator Farhatullah Babar, said the money claimed to have been returned did not come from growth in economy nor from investment but it came from the rescheduling of the debts after Islamabad joined the war on terror and it were the people of Pakistan who were paying this money.

"By comparison, the return of $1 billion of Pakistan's principal debt during the government of Ms Benazir Bhutto was a historic achievement because the money repaid came from investment and growth of the economy that provided jobs to the unemployed and helped in the social sector development.

"The Musharraf regime paid a paltry $1billion in loan repayment whereas Islamabad had been rewarded with several billions with the rescheduling of the country's entire debt for joining the coalition against terror.

"The regime must be castigated for repaying such a small and paltry amount given the generous support Pakistan has been receiving from the international community.

"The party demands that the Musharraf regime stop washing national resources and concentrate on retiring Islamabad debt.

"Until the massive debt was retired, inflation would continue to crush the working and middle classes. Moreover, as soon as the rescheduling period was over, unless the debt was paid, it would be a crushing burden on the shoulders of the unborn children of Pakistan.

"The economy has been in recession since the overthrow of the PPP government. People are facing untold miseries and committing suicides as employees are retrenched and one out of every three persons is jobless.