Govt shifting focus to growth

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday that International Monetary Fund (IMF) programmes were generally anti-growth, adding that the focus of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government from now onwards would be on increasing national output. Dar's speech at the Pakistan Policy Dialogue reflected growing pressure on the government to allow the economy to grow after a prolonged period of stabilisation, which has resulted in the highest unemployment and poverty levels in decades. "After achieving stability, we will now move towards economic growth and will engage the IMF as well," said the deputy prime minister and four-time former finance minister in his closing remarks at the event.