Khawaja Asif calls for collective efforts to revive country’s economy

Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Monday underlined the need for making collective efforts to revive the national economy on a sustainable basis so that the country could be put again on a consistent path of progress and prosperity.

“We [parliamentary parties] are duty-bound and it is our collective fight to put the country again on strong footing and embark on the journey of economic stability,” he said on the floor of the National Assembly (NA).

The minister said during the tenure of the PTI government, Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif had made utmost efforts to convince Imran Khan’s cabinet for devising a charter of the economy in the supreme national interest, but he (Imran Khan) always ignored it.

Asif said the past rulers and their allies committed embezzlements worth billions of rupees and destroyed government departments due to their bad governance and incompetence.

"Opposition and government parties would work together for the revival of the ruined departments and to strengthen the national economy," he stressed.

He said PTI's chairman was never interested in the Parliamentary proceedings when he was in power.

The minister said that PTI did not fulfill any of the promises it made to the public during the 2018 general elections.

"Whether these were the construction of five million housing units or provision of 10 million jobs to youth, he [Imran Khan] didn't fulfill any promise."

He congratulated Raja Raiz for being appointed as Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and assured that the treasury benches would welcome all constructive criticism and good suggestions by the opposition.