RAWALPINDI: Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed warned on Saturday that any attempt to manipulate the upcoming caretaker setup in the Centre would make the general election controversial before time.
Taking to Twitter, the former interior minister said if the PDM-led government tried to show cunning in formation of the caretaker setup, it would make the polls controversial. He said the formation of the interim government would make it clear whether the elections would be held in a transparent manner or not.
He warned that the prevailing crisis would deepen if the poor segment of society was ignored by the caretaker government.
Sheikh Rashid said the rulers were busy in power struggle by turning a deaf ear to the inflation-bitten public, adding that the economic crises would intensify if the public was not taken on board in matters of national interest.
Lashing out at the ruling coalition, he said inflation was on the rise while a recent decision of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) to increase electricity price by Rs5 per unit had also frightened the public.
He also took aim at Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, saying he had no other plan except begging for the IMF bailout package. He said the default was still staring at Pakistan despite the IMF loan deal as the existing foreign exchange reserves of $4 billion were barely enough for one-month imports. He also lamented decline in remittances.
The former minister said PDM leader Fazlur Rehman, who was ignored in Dubai meeting by the PML-N and the PPP, was a candidate for the president’s slot and demanding more share in the caretaker setup. He also called the silence of PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari “meaningful”.
