Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal has said that there was a state of mourning in the ranks of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) following Pakistan’s deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), maintaining that the agreement will put Pakistan’s economy back on track, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Addressing a press conference in Narowal on Sunday, Ahsan Iqbal accused the PTI leadership of lobbying throughout the world for scuttling the IMF deal.

The federal minister was of the view that no other party in the country’s entire history had taken anti-state steps which the PTI had taken in such a short span of time. “The party has crossed all limits in its hatred against the state,” Ahsan Iqbal alleged.

He, however, expressed satisfaction that at last what he called PTI’s propaganda had failed, and the country was able to clinch a deal with the Fund.

The minister expressed the hope that the deal with the IMF would put the country’s economy back on track.

Ahsan Iqbal said it was unfortunate that in Pakistan taxpayers were made to pay the price for the crime of tax evaders.

Observing that tax to GDP ratio in Pakistan was quite less, he stressed the need for improving it. “We will have to change our lifestyle,” he said, adding, “A nation that sleeps at 2:00 at night and wakes up at 10:00 in the morning can never progress.”

The federal minister remarked “Whole nation has to move towards a tax culture. Everyone has to stop tax evasion.”