Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) parliamentary leader in Senate, Sherry Rehman, grills the government for keeping the parliament in the dark on the ongoing high-level meetings with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“What is going on with the IMF meetings? Neither the prime minister nor the finance minister briefed the parliament on the terms of the negotiations. Before briefing the IMF with the terms of agreement regarding the country’s foreign debts, the government should have discussed it in parliament. What is with this secrecy?” questioned the senator.
Rehman added, “It is highly disrespectful to both houses and the people of Pakistan that media outlets know more about the deals that the government has been making back-to-back. These are not small figures and will be felt in our economy in the months to come. The parliament was also not briefed prior to the prime minister’s major international trips. We have a right to know and like every functioning democracy, the right to deliberate on matters of this importance.”
“I have brought this up in the Senate and have continuously called for the minister to address this on the floor of the House. Crucial information regarding the state of Pakistan’s balance of payments remain unknown to the parliament,” the senator said.