PESHAWAR: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Tuesday that the waiver of Rs 208 billion Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC) dues of industries will benefit the national economy.
Qureshi added that financial liabilities of late payment surcharge of industries have been waived off keeping in view the economic interests of the nation. He was talking to media in Multan.
Qureshi said that he doesn’t have details of presidential ordinance; however, said that it has logic and will benefit the economy of the country. He said the decision was made to support domestic industries and to provide relief to attract investment to the country.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government has waived Rs208 billion worth of liabilities of a few industrialists in addition to writing off late payment surcharge for the past seven years through a presidential ordinance, bringing into dispute its claim of a clean government.
President Arif Alvi last Tuesday promulgated the Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC) (Amendment) Ordinance 2019 to waive half of the outstanding liabilities of fertiliser, textile, power generation and compressed natural gas (CNG) sectors.
Talking about dialogues with India, the External Affairs Minister added that at this time he does not see any environment for dialogues. “There is a curfew in Kashmir, Kashmiri leadership is in prisons, there can be no talks in such a situation,” said Qureshi. “India wants to destroy the peace of the region, the world should take notice, we are trying to force India to lift curfew from the occupied Kashmir immediately.”
The Foreign Minister further said that India should not be any misunderstanding; if war is imposed we are capable of defending the country and will give a befitting response. Qureshi also asked the opposition to participate in the protest for Kashmir every Friday as it is in the interest of the whole country.
He confirms consular access to Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav in light of the International Court of Justice’s verdict. He said that Pakistan is bound to follow the verdicts of the ICJ.
