\u2013Lambasts govt over \u2018looming threat of default\u2019
\n LAHORE
\nFormer prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has strongly criticized the incumbent government over its economic policies as well as the looming threat of a default.
\nAddressing a press conference in Lahore, the former premier warned that if the public doesn\u2019t raise its voice, then Pakistan would experience something it has never before, claiming that and the country was going to default.
\nImran Khan while expressing disbelief in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) led government on Sunday said the PTI would not negotiate with \u2018gang of thieves\u2019.
\n\u201cA default would mean the country\u2019s income in dollars has stopped, and then the rupee will devalue further. All the funding from abroad will be stopped. No overseas Pakistani will be willing to invest in Pakistan,\u201d the PTI Chairman warned.
\nImran Khan said that the \u2018gang of thieves\u2019 imposed on the country doesn\u2019t care if the country defaults. \u201cThey have been stealing money for the last 30 years. They have stashed huge amounts of money abroad,\u201d he added.
\nThe former premier claimed that when he came into power in 2018, he had inherited a fragile economy but had turned it around, only to see his work undone by the present setup.
\nComparing his tenure with the incumbent government, Imran said he revived the economy despite unprecedented challenges of Covid-19 and Kashmir dispute.
\n\u201cThe previous government didn\u2019t make any dams but we made six dams, out of which two were massive. Out health card and Ehsaas programme were internationally acknowledged. The billion tree tsunami was praised around the world,\u201d he added.
\nImran Khan warned that Pakistan\u2019s default risk has surged to 100 percent while 88 percent of local investors do not believe in the incumbent government. As long as this government lasts, the country\u2019s economic instability will increase, warned Khan.
\n\u201cToday, the inflation is double and at a 50-year high. When we used to say the inflation is due to global reasons, no one believed us. When these gang of thieves says the same thing, no one is questioning,\u201d he regretted.
\nHe claimed that the PDM government does not have a roadmap to drag the country out of the economic crisis. Imran claimed that his victory in the next elections was so certain that the government was running away from polls.
\nThe PTI chief alleged that \u201ctwo thieves\u201d \u2014 Nawaz and Zardari \u2014 would go to any extent to delay elections in the country \u201cbecause they don\u2019t want to waste what they have achieved by ending their corruption cases during the last seven months\u201d.
\nMoreover, Imran Khan said the incumbent rulers were buying time to lodge cases and disqualify him in collusion with the chief election commissioner.
\nIn this regard, he said, he was pressing institutions to pave way for early elections in the country to avert the default risk. \u201cWhat would happen If China and IMF do not bail us out? If country defaults, it will be a big loss for all of us,\u201d he added.
\nIn response to a question, Imran said he hasn\u2019t seen any change in the military\u2019s policy towards him and his party. \u201cThe new army chief is here, and he should be given time. We have heard good things about him. We have a lot of expectations of him,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u2013Lambasts govt over \u2018looming threat of default\u2019 LAHORE Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has strongly criticized the incumbent government over its economic policies as well as the looming threat of a default. Addressing a press conference in Lahore, the former premier warned that if the public doesn\u2019t raise its voice, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":300658,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[11810,2833,11103],"class_list":{"0":"post-300636","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news","8":"tag-gang-of-thieves","9":"tag-imran-khan","10":"tag-negotiate"},"yoast_head":"\n