By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister and PTI chief Imran Khan on Thursday said that the incumbent government has lost its credibility inside and outside Pakistan and they have no plan to deal with a crippling economy.
In a speech to his supporters, Imran Khan stated that the government had promised that the economy would stabilise once the IMF released its loan tranche, but that the economy had not yet stabilised despite receiving money and tight conditions being put in place.
“Political stability is a prerequisite for economic stability. Whatever justification they employ, the ultimate loser in this situation is the entire country, he added.
He bemoaned that despite an IMF bailout, Pakistan has never experienced this level of inflation as the rupee continues to depreciate.
“I can easily assert that PTI is the most well-liked party in the country, and that the opposition as a whole just cares about clearing their names rather than looking out for their fellow citizens. They don’t know how to handle the economic issue, he remarked.
He reminded the opposition that although they had portrayed Shehbaz Sharif as the one who could resolve all problems prior to assuming office, he had fallen short once in office. “We got the biggest current account deficit of US$20 Billion as compared to the incumbent government that only inherited a deficit of $16 billion,” he shared a comparison, adding that PTI inherited $9.5 billion in foreign reserves as compared to $16 billion in reserves when no-trust move was tabled against him.
Even after striking an IMF deal, the government has $8.8 billion of foreign reserves now, he said.
Imran Khan continued by drawing a comparison between the current government’s increase in fuel prices to Rs230 per litre and the previous administration’s increase in fuel prices to Rs150 per litre when prices were rising to $103 per barrel on international markets.
He went on to explain how rising prices for essential goods like flour and rice make it harder for the average person to make ends meet. “These folks used to hold protest demonstrations and protest any price increases implemented by our government. However, what they did today exposed them much more. “I don’t stand to gain personally from early elections, but since these people are solely interested in clearing their names, it could further harm the political and economic stability of the nation,” he said. “I once more advocate that early elections be held to rescue the nation from the prevailing situation.
