Crisis is bigger than that of 1971

He was of the view that Pakistan needed at least $5 billion annually for no less than seven years to avoid economic bankruptcy and agriculture sector needed minimum $3 billion to stand on its own footings. Country’s scheduled banks were disbursing loans at highest interest rate of 18 per cent, which was the record highest rate in the world, he added.

He said that now Talibans were not confined to FATA region only, rather they were marching towards other cities like Karachi, Lahore and Swat.

Former Information Minister Khalid Kharal said that loadshedding menace would continue for two more years. Had PPP not invited foreign power generating companies in 1993, country would have been facing loadshedding up to 24 hours, he added. Ghulam Mustafa Khar said that present crisis was more severe than that of East Pakistan, but at that time Zulfiqar Ali Bhuto was there who was the most popular and non-controversial leader of West Pakistan. He pointed out that at present there was crisis of leadership in the country also.