ISLAMABAD: As International Monetary Fund (IMF) has asked for a few more tasks before it can unlock the much-needed loan to avoid a default, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Monday said the government has accepted all its conditions and talk on the international lender’s final condition is underway. He was speaking at a meeting of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) parliamentary committee where he strongly rejected the rumours of making efforts for trade with Israel, saying that the canard of starting trade with Israel is being spread which is condemnable, adding that Pakistan will stick to its principled stance unless the Palestinian people get their right to self-determination, national independence, and sovereignty.

He resolved that Pakistan would not deviate from its principled position of having no ties with Israel until the Palestinians get their legitimate right.

Govt rejects rumours of trade with Israel

He was referring to the social media posts mentioning any trade activity by a Pakistani Jew with Israel.

“There is not even mention of that. This is just baseless. An individual Jew has traded some goods. The government has nothing to do with that,” he commented.

Behind such propaganda were the people who opposed a Muslim candidate for London mayorship and instead supported a “Jewish candidate”, he added.

About the country’s beleaguered economy, he reiterated that “things will be alright soon as the common man is bearing the brunt of skyrocketing prices due to flawed economic policies of the previous government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).”

He maintained that the government is helpless before the conditions put forth by the IMF, adding the brotherly countries are helping Pakistan in whatever way possible, as we had to face all the crisis due to devastating floods last year, during which the Centre alone had to give Rs100 billion to the victims.

He highlighted the government’s efforts to help those in need and said, “We started providing free flour to 100 million poor families during Ramazan.”

He came down hard on PTI Chairman Imran Khan, saying the previous government signed the IMF programme on the strictest terms and then suspended the programme by violating it, maintaining that the ex-prime minister “has trapped Pakistan in an economic quagmire.”

Sharif accepted that the current situation of the country is extremely critical but said that the government’s intention is clear, and he would bring the country out of the prevailing crisis soon.

“The time will come and the situation will change, this is my firm belief,” he maintained, adding that “Had there been his party’s government led by Nawaz Sharif, the country would have emerged as the most prosperous long ago.”

He also claimed that the language which the former prime minister and his Cabinet ministers used against friendly countries is something he could not disclose in public.

“Serious allegations were made on Chinese projects. China invested $30 billion and false accusations were made on the same helpful friend,” he claimed.

He also talked about the “divided” Supreme Court and said “the political destabilize is getting relief from the court day and night,” adding that “attitude towards our leadership was different.”

Besides, he also lauded the efforts of the party workers and said they stood with the party leadership in testing time.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023