Miftah sees IMF deal inevitable to avert default
Business
The ex-FinMin doubts that the government would be able to present a pro-poor budget
KARACHI (Dunya News) - Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) senior leader and former federal minister, Miftah Ismail Tuesday stated that the IMF programme was indispensable to avoid default.
In an exclusive interview on Dunya News' talkshow "Dunya Kamran Khan Kay Sath", he mentioned that the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) is also falling short of its targets, and he doubts that the government will be able to present a worker-friendly budget.
Miftah Ismail said that inflation has soared by 35 per cent, and the budget will require salary and pension increments to provide relief to the salaried class.
He stated that Ishaq Dar stepped backed from the IMF agreement just like Imran Khan did it twice. "Now, the IMF is also proceeding with caution. The IMF program should have been reviewed in November."
Ismail emphasised that the country has no other option except the IMF, saying the IMF bailout package should be completed as abandoning the programme could increase the risk of Pakistan's getting defaulted.
He said the demand for dollars in Pakistan was also increasing. "When the business community will feel that Pakistan will not default, the dollars inflow into the country will increase as well."
