Kamalia:
The Minister of Finance, Muhammad Aurangzeb, said on Sunday that Pakistan was in close contact with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) when the world lender had shown an understanding of the current crisis, triggered by recent floods.
During a visit to Kamalia Tehsil in Toba Tek Singh, one of the most affected areas, said the minister, the government favors and prefers to use internal resources before looking for additional funds. “The whole world looks at the difficulties encountered by the Pakistani people,” he said.
Aurangzeb noted that infrastructure, including roads, bridges and houses, had been seriously damaged. He added that it would be inappropriate to send electricity bills to residents in the affected areas in the event of a disaster at this stage.
Expressing gratitude, saying that the loss of life in Toba Tek Singh remained minimal, the minister prayed for flooding waters to decrease quickly so that farmers can start to plant the next harvest. “We are going to rebuild the infrastructure and restore it in its original state,” he said.
Aurangzeb also praised the magnitude of the current rescue operation, unprecedented in the history of the country. He provided special thanks to the Pakistani army for their role in rescue and rescue activities.
Earlier Friday, the IMF expressed his concern and deep sadness concerning the loss of lives in the recent devastating floods in Pakistan and announced that his second economic examination mission would also assess the impact of the disaster on the economy, as well as the financial requirements for the recovery and reconstruction.
According to sources, the IMF team will assess whether Pakistan’s budgetary policies and emergency measures are sufficient to deal with the crisis.
