Friends of Pakistan ready to invest: Miftah

Minister for Finance Miftah Ismail has said friends of Pakistan are ready to invest to stabilize the country’s fragile economy, reported 24NewsHD TV Channel on Saturday.

Talking to a private channel, he said Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have expressed their interest in various sectors of Pakistan.

Qatar has approved an investment worth $3 billion in Pakistan and wants a long-term lease of airports while it is looking to invest in seaports as well. He said that Qatar has also shown interest in investment in LNG power plants, along with the installation of 8,000-megawatt solar plants. Miftah added that the government also intends to install 8,000-megawatt solar plants in the country.

He said that an investment of about five billion dollars would be made in different sectors of Pakistan. The ADB alone would provide funds worth one and half billion dollars to kick start projects of public interest, he added.

 “We will overcome all difficulties being faced in the economic and business sectors with the help of friendly countries and international organizations,” he added. 

To a question, he said, all-out efforts would be made to maintain national currency against the dollar.

Miftah to another question about the confidence of investors in this region said that the government was taking all possible measures to bring improvement in the stock market, currency, and investor confidence.

He assured that people would enjoy maximum relief in the next two months. Relief and rehabilitation of flood-torn areas are the priorities of the coalition government, he added.