Kamal:
The Minister of Finance, Muhammad Aurengzeb, said on Sunday that Pakistan has been in close contact with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), since the global lender has shown understanding about the current crisis, caused by recent floods.
During a visit to Kamalia Tehsil in Toba Tek Singh, one of the worst affected areas, said the minister, the government is prioritizing and prefers to use national resources before looking for additional funds. “The entire world is observing the difficulties facing the Pakistani people,” he said.
Aurengzeb said that the infrastructure, including roads, bridges and houses, had been seriously damaged. He added that it would be inappropriate to send electricity bills to residents in areas affected by disaster at this stage.
When expressing their gratitude, saying that the loss of lives in Toba Tek Singh remained minimal, the minister prayed so that the waters of the floods receded rapidly so that the farmers could begin to plant the next harvest. “We will rebuild the infrastructure and restore it to its original condition,” he said.
Aurengzeb also praised the scale of the current relief operation, qualifying it unprecedented in the country’s history. He extended a special thanks to the Pakistan army for his role in rescue and relief activities.
Earlier on Friday, the IMF expressed concern and deep sadness for the loss of lives in recent devastating floods of Pakistan and announced that its second mission of economic review would also evaluate the impact of the disaster on the economy, as well as the financial requirements for recovery and reconstruction.
According to the sources, the IMF team will evaluate whether the fiscal policies and emergency measures of Pakistan are sufficient to deal with the crisis.
