ISLAMABAD
Finance Minister Miftah Ismail alleged on Monday that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was conspiring against the country and Shaukat Tarin was the mastermind of it.
“The flood has caused destruction everywhere in the country. Pakistan is sinking, and IMF is the only support we have. [But] The PTI committed a mean act. Asad Umar gave explanations on behalf of Shaukat Tarin. He was not ashamed,” Miftah censured.
Responding to the alleged audio call, he said that the PTI should be ashamed for hatching a conspiracy against the entire country. “There will be no PTI if there will be no country. Imran Khan should apologize to the nation,” he demanded.
The minister was of the view that the government saved the country from bankruptcy by restoring the agreement with the IMF and put their politics at stake. He said that the prime minister and federal ministers are visiting the flood-hit areas. “The PM has announced to give Rs15 and Rs7 billion to Sindh and Balochistan respectively,” he said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad.
Miftah Ismail said that Shaukat Tarin had done a very cheap act. “We preferred the country to politics. Imran Khan erected mountains of loans in the country,” he added.
The finance minister said that PML-N was not ready to form the government in the center after the previous government tanked the economy but accepted to challenge to protect the country from a default.
“We put everything on the line to save Pakistan,” he said referring to the PML-N’s popularity which encountered set back after the government increased petroleum and electricity prices.
The finance minister also made startling revelations about a letter written by KP Finance Minister to the central government and stating that the province was not going to deliver on its promise about a budget surplus.
Miftah said that before sending the letter to the center, Jhagra sent the same letter to the IMF officials. “We got it checked in one hour and it was with the IMF officials,” he said adding that the letter was sent two days ago.
“Do you think its a child’s play? Am I a fool sitting here?” An angry Miftah Ismail shouted and demanded that Jhagra must step down. He also demanded that Imran Khan must apologize to the nation and Shaukat Tarin must quit politics. “Their real faces have been unmasked,” he said.
Miftah said only Mohsin Laghari, the Punjab finance minister, expressed concerns about possible damage being done to the state.
“I told Shehbaz Sharif that the country has almost bankrupted. The PTI broke the agreement with the IMF. [But] We saved the country from bankruptcy by putting our politics at stake. We will not let the country go bankrupt even in the opposition,” he said.
“Imran Khan considers himself above everything. What ‘cannon did he fire’ when he was in power? Imran Khan should tell what he did in 10 years,” he castigated.
“They are plotting against the country. Shaukat Tarin is the mastermind of the whole conspiracy. If you are clever, are we children? Do we not understand (your tactics)?” he added.
“Imran Khan should apologise to the nation. Shaukat Tarin should leave politics. His conversation has come to the light. Mohsin Leghari had clearly asked from Tarin whether their decision to withdraw from the IMF deal will harm the country,” he stated.
“As soon as we came to the government, we invited the PTI to the charter of economy,” he pointed out. “Did Imran Khan not get the report that Farah Gogi is taking money from the housing societies. Inflation in Pakistan went skyrocketing due to the incompetence of Imran Khan,” he alleged.
“The PTI is not thinking that if the state does not exist, their politics will not exist either. If they do not know the interests of Pakistan, they have no right to do politics,” he declared. Referring to the IMF Executive Board meeting, he said that by the will of God, the country will hear good news tonight after the IMF approves the pending tranche.
The minister said that Punjab and KP governments had signed MOUs on the IMF deal and as long as the two governments refrain from revoking the MOUs the IMF deal will not falter.
Ismail pointed out that the PTI-led government violated the agreement with IMF that was revived by the PML-N.
In response to a question he said that he would not comment on the criminal aspect of the issue, and it was Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s prerogative to take the matter to the National Security Committee or not.
Shehbaz Sharif has already called an emergency meeting with the chiefs of three armed forces, leaders of the coalition parties, and all chief ministers. The meeting will begin at 6pm today.
