Sheikh Rashid calls upcoming elections decisive for politicians
Pakistan
He said the power tariff would go up after the IMF loan deal
RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) – Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed says the upcoming elections will be decisive for politicians, saying the ruling coalition will face a political crisis.
Taking to Twitter, the former interior minister said the government secured the loan deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) when the tenure of the “guest actors” was nearing its end. He said the ruling partners wasted a whole year while claiming to have a “Plan B and Plan C”, but in reality, they had no viable plan at all.
He said Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had granted a generous sum of $3 billion at the nod of someone else as no one was ready to trust them.
“Whenever they visit any country, people label them beggars,” Rashid said. Lashing out at Prime Minster Shehbaz Sharif, the AML chief said the premier spent his day delivering speeches and having photo-ops. The sole achievement of Shehbaz Sharif’s 15-month government was the first installment of a $1 billion loan from the IMF, he quipped.
The world and the IMF respected the voice of the people, he said, adding that the design for disbursement of the loan in three installments was made in a way that ensures elections in the country.
He said the power tariff would go up after the loan deal, adding that the withdrawal of subsidies would put additional burden on the masses. Lamenting high inflation, decline in remittances and exports, he said overseas Pakistanis were dissatisfied with the government.
— Sheikh Rashid Ahmed (@ShkhRasheed) July 14, 2023
He said PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari had kept mum and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari's US trip was not coming to an end.
He said PDM chief Fazlur Rahman was also fed up with the partners. He also slammed the ruling partners for their claims that they put their politics at stake for the state, saying: “They have saved themselves from corruption and money-laundering cases”.
