Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has assured senior officials of the international Monetary Fund that various political and economic reforms currently being implemented by his government were irreversible and would continue even after general elections to be held in October this year.
Musharraf told Paul Chabrier, IMF director for Middle East and South Asia, Klaus enders, head of the visiting IMF review mission and Henri Ghesquiere, fund's senior resident representative in Islamabad on Saturday that necessary legal requirements were being completed to protect all political and economic decisions of the government, and that these could not be changed nor challenged in any court of law, media reports said. The Pakistani leader said economic reform agenda of his government had been widely appreciated by the bilateral creditors and multilateral agencies, therefore, there was no question of allowing anyone to 'undo' the agenda. Pakistan daily 'Dawn' said on Sunday.
He also reportedly pointed out that his government had been taking bold and unpopular decisions with a view to removing distortions from the economy, adding his government would like to ensure that the development strategy benefited the common man and revive economic growth. He also thanked the IMF for supporting pakistan, specially through Poverty Reduction Growth Facility (PRGF).
In reply Chabrier appreciated the performance of Pakistan economy during the last two years, and said the country had established credibility among international financial community by taking hard but much needed decisions in implementing the overdue economic reforms in the country. Bureau Report