Newly sworn in Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has rebuffed perception of any backdoor deal to return to Pakistan, adding that the previous government’s apparent decision to block his passport forced him to stay in exile for over four years.
“There is no deal, we do not believe in this,” he responded to a query after talking to reporters outside an accountability court in Islamabad. “Ask those who blocked my passport, this is hypocrisy. This is a message for [PTI chief] Imran Khan and his party.”
Dar, who returned to Pakistan on Monday with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, spoke to reporters after taking oath as the finance minister for the fourth time. President Arif Alvi administered the oath of office to him. Though his return apparently improved the market sentiment but it drew sharp rebuke from the PTI.
Read more: Ishaq Dar returns as finance minister of Pakistan
Former prime minister Imran Khan while addressing a convention in Peshawar on Tuesday lamented the “state of justice” and “inaction of country’s protectors” in Dar’s return to the country. But, he expressed hope to block the PML-N senator’s way.
The new finance minister claimed that despite differences he made negotiations with the PTI to end the sit-in and brought them back to Parliament. “For God’s sake, work for Pakistan.”
Dar said: “I did not have passport for four years. Imran Khan took my passport and he tried to block me from getting it. The new government issued me passport after which I came here.”
He claimed that the case pertaining to tax returns against him was fake. “My case is that I have not filed tax returns in 20 years. But I have not even delayed it for 20 mins over the last 40 years,” said and lamented the “system” in Pakistan.
Read more: Ishaq Dar inches closer to becoming finance minister
The PML-N senator took a jibe at the PTI leaders for making tall claims of bringing him back.
“I am consistent tax payer,” he reiterated, adding that a news channel apologised to him for making “fabricated” charges. “They paid me Rs30 million for libel. But I transferred it to the poor people and people who made such fake cases should feel ashamed.”
He expressed the hope of bringing the country out of economic crisis, however, warned that “dramas” like panama papaers have cost a lot to the country.
“I have been finance minister for three times I can be also for the fourth time. I was offered and asked to take this responsibility. Its our responsibility to work for our country,” he said.
Like his predecessor Miftah Ismail, Dar also accused the PTI government of laying “landmines” before getting ousted by breaking the sovereign bonds and giving petrol subsidy.
Dar said that his first target would be to revive the currency and second to bring inflation and interest rate down. He supported his aims with “previous performance” of the party.
To a query, he said that Miftah was part of the team and would continue to be.
