Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Tuesday said that the conditions set by theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) will result in ‘more burden’ on thepeople.
Speaking in Geo News program Capital Talk, the premier put the blame forthe tough conditions by the IMF on the previous government.
The prime minister said that the previous government violated thecommitments given to the IMF and as a result, the global lender is nowadamant that Pakistan has to fulfill all conditions at any cost. Thepremier said that he is aware that many in Pakistan are finding it hard toput food on the table, buy medicines and pay for the education of theirchildren.
He claimed that former prime minister Imran Khan had ‘almost’ defaultedPakistan apart from straining the country’s relations with a number offriendly countries.
However, the premier highlighted that his government has provided relief tothe downtrodden people through the Benazir Income Support Program. Hefurther said that the wave of inflation is also due to the higher cost ofimported items as commodity prices have risen since the Russia-Ukraineconflict.
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It is pertinent to mention here that inflation in Pakistan is set to breakthe almost 50-year record of 29.3 percent witnessed in April 1975. Thecountry is also struggling to secure financing from friendly countrieswhich has delayed the IMF bailout.
Recently, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva had said that Fund hasasked Pakistan to raise tax revenues and have a fairer distribution ofpressures by moving subsidies only toward people who really need them. Sheemphasized that the IMF is very clear that it wants the poor people ofPakistan to be protected.
