ISLAMABAD: Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Sunday launched a broadside at the coalition government for its failure to deal with the economic turmoil, saying friendly countries like China, Dubai, Qatar and Saudi Arabia coming to Pakistan’s aid.
“Despite tall claims of the government’s economic mangers, the IMF’s bailout package did not arrive yet.”
In a tweet the former interior minister claimed that a decision on no-confidence motion that led to former premier and PTI chief Imran Khan’s ouster was taken in London.
“The country is stuck in quagmire of crises including economical,” he regretted.
Sh Rashid said that tough conditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the revival of the $6 billion bailout package –in particular, the withdrawal of various government subsidies have left the country at a breaking point.
He, however, raised serious questions about the elusive package. He also claimed that “China has serious reservations over the conditions set for acquisition of the US aid”.
Raising alarm, the former minister said “only 45 days’ worth of foreign reserves is remaining”.
Pointing to a possible point of disagreement between the coalition government, Rashid also said that “Maulana Fazlur Rehman and the TTP [Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan] have the same stance on the FATA merger”.
Earlier this week, as economic turmoil and depreciating rupee had sent inflation skyward, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa had swung into action, reaching out to Washington to push the IMF to immediately release nearly $1.2 billion Pakistan needs to stave off serious upheaval.
The army chief’s ‘appeals’ to the United States had been in tandem with his discussions with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over measures for the restoration of confidence in the economy.
