Saudi to make ‘biggest investment’ in Pak’s history
ISLAMABAD: Federal Finance Minister Asad Umar on Thursday said that an incoming investment package from Saudi Arabia promises to be “the biggest foreign investment in the country’s history.”
Asad Umar, while addressing an event in Islamabad, said that the package would be announced soon, reports Dawn news.
“The ball is in our court. It is going to the cabinet for approval next week, after which the announcement will be made,” he said.
The inance minister said that he keeps getting messages from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman “through other people to hurry up.”
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have been in talks recently over a bailout package for Islamabad.
The inance minister, responding to a question, said that he keeps being asked “When will you jail the thieves? This is the demand of the people of Pakistan,” he added.
Umar said that he had attended a dinner in Karachi with members of Pakistan’s business, corporate and executive elite, who had advised him to school Prime Minister Imran Khan “to look forward now and stop harping on about corruption.”
“Butwherevericomeacrossapakistani citizen, they ask me, ‘When will you jail the thieves?’,” he said. “This class divide has always existed.”
“It’s a challenge, it’s a double-edged sword. You’ve made a commitment for bringing accountability into society, which demands that if a pickpocket goes to jail for stealing, so does the person who loots the public. It is the leadership’s responsibility to ensure that such a situation is not created, that a negative outlook does not prevail.”
The minister said that the government is committed to the welfare of the people, Radio Pakistan reported.