ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Thursday accused Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan of hatching a conspiracy against Pakistan at a time when the country was sinking in floods.
Speaking at a news conference, Abbasi strongly criticised the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s recent letter to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), adding that the agreement with the Fund was inked by Imran Khan’s government and it was binding on the successive government to implement the programme.
He alleged that Imran Khan repeatedly violated the agreement with the IMF by decreasing the prices of petroleum products when he felt that his ouster was imminent.
Instead of increasing the electricity tariff, he further alleged that Imran Khan deliberately reduced the prices of petroleum products in last days as the premier, adding that freezing of gas and electricity tariffs proved detrimental to the country’s economy.
He added that former finance minister of the PTI government Shaukat Tarin had not only violated the IMF agreement, “but also pushed the country into troubles”.
“Despite knowing the intricacies of the agreement with the IMF, Shaukat Tarin conspired against the Fund’s programme by asking finance ministers of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to sabotage it. He [Tarin] conspired against the IMF programme on the directives of Imran Khan,” Abbasi further alleged.
He further criticised Imran Khan for his alleged political agenda at the cost of Pakistan and its people. “Imran Khan has the only agenda to save his politics, having no concern for the country and its people. If you cannot speak for the country, then don’t conspire, there is too much time for politics,” Abbasi further asked the PTI chairman. He also held the PTI chairman responsible for current economic woes.
“Imran Khan will have to answer as to why was he plotting against Pakistan when the country was sinking,” Abbasi asked. Instead of resolving Pakistan’s problems, he maintained that the PTI resorted to telling “lies”, adding that had the current government followed in the footsteps of the PTI, things would have been even worst.
He defended the tough decisions taken by Finance Minister Miftah Ismail and lauded his hard work, adding that the government took difficult decisions to put the economy back on the right track. He admitted that some party members did not support some difficult decisions of the government.
He added that despite financial constraints, the government was trying its level best to provide maximum relief to people. He said that efforts were underway to stabilise the economy and provide solace to the people. “Optimum efforts were being made to help rehabilitate flood-hit people,” he said, adding that the floods have destabilised the country’s economy which was already facing difficulties to be brought on the right track.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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