IMF has tied government's hands, says PM Shehbaz
Pakistan
PM Shehbaz addresses PML-N's parliamentary meeting
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday the federal government was holding negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over its last precondition and the lender had tied the government's hands.
The PM, while chairing the PML-N’s parliamentary party meeting, said the government had accepted all the preconditions of the IMF adding that the PML-N government always steered the country out of crises. “We are going through difficult times but we [are moving with] good intentions”, he added. It was my faith, he said, that times would change.
He said the country was facing waves of inflation due to the PTI government’s continuation of the IMF program adding that the incumbent government had accepted all the preconditions of the IMF. “Friendly countries are helping us a great deal”, he added.
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Mr Sharif went on to say that PTI chief Imran Khan pushed the country to an economic marsh adding that the outgoing government spoke ill to friendly countries and levelled severe allegations against Chinese projects. “Mr Khan and his accomplices said 45pc of the money spent on Chinese projects were gutted in corruption”, he added. China invested $30billion in Pakistan, he said, and they [the PTI government] levelled baseless allegations against them.
He asked if an individual [Mr Khan] had any link to the policy of Pakistan. “Mr Khan accepted the most stringent conditions of the IMF and later violated the agreement by suspending the program himself”, he added. Mr Khan conspired to sabotage the program, he said, and his ministers were caught red-handed doing the conspiracy.
The PM claimed that threats were issued and references were filed against judges during the PTI’s tenure adding that the judiciary treated the PML-N differently. He implored PML-N chief organiser Maryam Nawaz was not holding any public office just like Mr Khan’s wife [who is facing NAB inquiries and PTI says she is not a public office holder]. “It reflects the difference in serving justice”, he observed.
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Mr Sharif said the country faced the worst flood situation adding that only the federal government granted Rs100 billion to flood victims. “We started providing free flour to 100 million families in Punjab and KP in Ramadan”, he added.
He rebutted claims of starting a trade with Israel saying a lie was being propagated about the trade and it was condemnable. “Pakistan will stick to its principle until Palestinians get their right”, he added.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also addressed the National Assembly session after the meeting.
