Shehbaz Sharif says each and every requirement of IMF has been met n Claims next financial year will be year of economic development n Imran Niazi openly spreading false information to mislead local and foreign media.
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE - Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Monday said that his government had been able to navigate the challenges faced by Pakistan in the best possible fashion with the help of its people and brotherly and friendly countries.
In an interview with Anadolu News Agency, the prime minister said that Pakistan had been facing a plethora of problems since April 2022, when the current government took over after former prime minister Imran Khan was ousted in a no-trust vote. “The issues are the result of the previous government’s policies,” he said.
“Pakistan, in April 2022, was on the verge of default because the government of the day had violated the IMF agreement and the economy was in tatters,” he maintained. “Then we had devastating floods in August 2022. Combined with that we are facing galloping inflation, because of the international situation,” he added
To a question, PM Shehbaz said Pakistan was very hopeful of finalising a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this month. “We are still very hopeful that the IMF programme will materialise. Our ninth review by the IMF will match all terms and conditions and, hopefully, we’ll have some good news this month,” he told Anadolu in Ankara.
The prime minister was in Ankara for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s inauguration ceremony.
“We have met all conditionalities. I repeat, each and every requirement of the IMF as prior actions has been met,” he asserted. “Some of those actions are usually met after the board’s approval, but this time the IMF required that those actions be met before the board’s approval, so we have met them,” he was quoted by the Turkish news agency as saying.
The prime minister said the people of Pakistan had faced challenges in the past, and if needed, would tighten their belt and rise again.
‘IMRAN KHAN FACING CHARGES OF CORRUPTION, WHEELING-DEALING’
About May 9 vandalism, he said PTI chief Imran Khan faced charges of “serious corruption, malpractice, and wheeling-dealing,” stressing that the “law had to deal with this.”
He (Imran Khan) for a period of time, had been preparing his people mentally, his bunch of thugs as he would call them, to react violently, in case he (IK) was arrested, the prime minister added.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said, “He (IK) planned this very serious act against the state of Pakistan. He incited his people. There’s evidence beyond any doubt.” Khan’s supporters were instructed to torch buildings, attack institutions, and desecrate graves and monuments, he added.
“Those people who have attacked civilian installations will be tried under civilian law, and those people who attacked military installations and desecrated institutions will be tried under the Military Act,” the prime minister further elaborated.
About cases under the Military Act, the prime minister explained that ‘once the judge awards punishment, the defendant has two appeals – one in the high court and then in the Supreme Court of Pakistan’.
He said that the bottom line of the entire process was ensuring justice so that such thing could never took place in Pakistan, for the rest of their lives. “Would any civilised country allow this kind of vandalism against the state, which happened on May 9 in Pakistan?” he questioned. The prime minister cited an example of incidents that took place on January 6, 2021 at Capitol Hill in Washington.
Were not those perpetrators being tried and given severe punishments so that such an act could never happen again in the history of the United States! he maintained. The prime minister also congratulated the people of Turkiye on President Erdogan’s reelection, hailing it as a “wonderful development”.
“I will work very closely with my brother, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a visionary leader and a man of commitment who believes in public service. I hope our relations will enhance to a much higher level in terms of brotherhood, understanding, and economic cooperation,” he said.
He further said, “I always maintain, and I mean it, that our two brotherly countries are like one soul with hearts that beat together. We speak different languages, but we understand what we’re saying through our hearts. So, I think it’s a great opportunity.”
He expressed the confidence that both countries would boost cooperation in the near future to enhance trade and foster mutual growth by focusing on areas such as biogas, solar energy, and hydropower.
‘NO RIGHTS VIOLATIONS’
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also said on Monday that every case related to the violence committed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on May 9 was being dealt with due process under the law.
“I assure everyone that the culprits are being dealt with under the law and that I will ensure that no rights violations take place,” he wrote on Twitter.
Sharif said Pakistan fully respected and was committed to all its constitutional and international obligations on human rights. He said the PTI chief Imran Niazi in his interviews with international media outlets was openly and deliberately disinforming local and foreign audiences by “glib-talk laced with fake news and plain misrepresentation”.
“His expedient description of the post-May 9 events as ‘human rights abuses’ and ‘stifling of the right to political protest’ is not only misleading but aimed at manipulating and swaying opinion-makers outside the country,” he said. He categorically stated that what PTI did on May 9 was a “brazen attack on the State of Pakistan, with malafide intent and sinister objectives”. “No country in the world would tolerate such an attempt at destroying its integrity,” he said.
‘THE YEAR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR PAKISTAN’
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says public welfare, development and business friendly policies will be the pivot of budget for next fiscal year.
He was chairing a high-level meeting in Islamabad on Monday, to consult with the coalition parties for the Public Sector Development Program. The prime minister said volume of Public Sector Development Program is being increased from 700 billion to 950 billion rupees to accelerate the growth rate and employment opportunities in the next financial year. He said next financial year will be the year of economic development for Pakistan. He said the government is adopting the policy of utilizing the available resources in the best way despite the difficult economic situation. Shehbaz Sharif said a significant amount is also being kept for the development and reconstruction of the flood affected areas.
Shehbaz Sharif said consultation of coalition parties is highly significant in every initiative. He noted with satisfaction how the ruling coalition saved the country from economic and political turmoil through mutual cooperation and beyond their political interests.
The meeting was told the National Flood Response Program, which has been delayed for years, is being re-launched. The meeting was also briefed in detail about the budget figures and the proposed projects under the development budget.
On the occasion, leaders and representatives of the coalition parties termed Prime Minister’s initiative to take the allies into confidence and include their suggestions in the budget for the development budget of 2023-24 as historic and thanked him.
They gave their proposals for the development budget which the Prime Minister directed the Finance Minister to consider and include them in the budget.
Federal Ministers Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal, Maulana Asad Mahmood, Rana Tanveer Hussain, Maulana Abdul Wasay, Syed Aminul Haq, Agha Hassan Baloch, Sardar Israr Tareen, Advisor to Prime Minister Ahad Khan Cheema, Ministers of State, Hashim Notezai, Ehsanullah Riki, Members of National Assembly and convener Muttahida Qaumi Movement Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, members of National Assembly Aslam Bhutani, Mohsin Dawar, Sardar Hussain Babak of Awami National Party and relevant senior officials participated. Federal Commerce Minister Syed Naveed Qamar, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Member National Assembly and Chairman Balochistan National Party Sardar Akhtar Mengal attended the meeting through video link.