Islamabad [Pakistan]: Pakistan Finance Minister Miftah Ismail has lashed out at the PTI-led Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government for attempting to “sabotage” the Pakistan-IMF deal ahead of the global lender’s executive board meeting.
Referring to the letter written by K-P Finance Minister Jahagra, Miftah slammed the PTI-led government, saying they are playing politics over matters of national interest at a time when the entire country is reeling from historic floods and heavy rains, the Express Tribune reported. “[K-P Finance Minister] Taimur Jhagra assured me that he did not send this letter to the IMF but they [IMF] must have got this letter since it’s circulating across the country,” the Finance Minister said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Friday.
Miftah also stated that PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry in a recent statement admitted that the federal government would not be able to secure the IMF deal if their governments in Punjab and K-P did not cooperate and work in unison to fetch the country out of the reeling economic crisis.
Meanwhile, the coalition parties have come down hard on PTI’s government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa for its efforts to thwart the IMF deal and plunge Pakistan into a “flood of economic crisis”. Notably, Pakistan has committed to the IMF that it would generate a primary budget surplus of Rs 153 billion in this fiscal year to achieve the global lender’s programme objectives.
The IMF board meeting is slated to take place on August 29 to approve the disbursement of USD 1.18 billion to Pakistan under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF).
In the letter, the K-P minister while highlighting several issues including budget allocation for merged districts as well as devastating floods said without their resolution leaving a surplus budget “will be next to impossible” for the provincial government.
Responding to his statement, Miftah said he will hold a meeting with Jaghra on Saturday (today) and will resolve their issues.
“We will release funds for ex-Fata areas as they are our brothers… The IMF programme will be approved on Monday,” he added.
The coalition comprising of PML-N, PPP and JUI-F, however said it was Imran Khan’s government that signed an agreement with the IMF on strict terms and derailed the country’s economy.
Moreover, Imran Khan violated the agreement, suspended the programme and laid mines in the foundations of Pakistan’s economy by giving subsidies so that Pakistan becomes economically bankrupt, the Express Tribune reported citing the coalition. (ANI)