Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has shown an indication to buy Russian oil but on the condition that it provides the important commodity at the same rate that it is giving it to India.

While replying to a question in Washington, Dar hoped that the West would have no objection to the import of Russian oil at a discounted rate due to Pakistan’s financial hardship triggered by the recent catastrophic floods.

On the length of the incumbent government, the finance minister said that the coalition government in the Centre have enough time to return to the political front.

“10 months are enough for the government to restore its political prestige and win popularity. We were to select one thing among the two: either to save our politics or the state. We opted for the second,” he said while commenting on the by-polls results.

To a question about US President Biden’s statement on Pakistan’s nuclear programme, he said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had already said that a robust command and control system was in place in the country. The US authorities also acknowledge it often, he added.

On the recent Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) recent meeting, Dar is optimistic that Pakistan would get out of the watchdog’s grey list. A meeting is expected in a few days and the government is hopeful that the country would come out of the FATF grey list, he said.

The finance minister was in Washington on a four-day visit where he met IMF, World Bank officials and others.