ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday demanded start of accountability process from the prime minister questioning from where the premier was meeting his expenses.
“During the last year, Imran Khan paid Rs147,000 as income tax which means that he hails from the middle class but the question arises from where he meets his expenses. The PM should make himself accountable and then turn to others,” former finance minister Miftah Ismail said while addressing a press conference along with Marriyum Aurangzeb and Musaddiq Malik.
Miftah Ismail criticised Imran Khan for paying such a meagre amount as annual income tax despite his middle class status, asking him toexplain from where he was getting funds for meeting his expenses. Miftah said if Jahangir Tareen and Faisal Vawda paid money to Imran Khan then what benefit they received in return.
“We ask the government to probe benami accounts, but at the same time, it should also hold accountability of those opened accounts in names of cooks and gardeners,” he said. Miftah Ismail said the PM-N leadership was ready for accountability. He questioned as to who were paying the bills for Imran Khan’s vehicle’s petrol and electricity.
“We all are ready for accountability but at the same time, Aleem Khan, Jahangir Tareen and Pervaiz Elahi should also pass through the accountability process,” he said. Miftah regretted that the incumbent government during the so-called accountability process was holding media trial of its opponents. He said the prime minister should also explain to the nation that what kind of monetary benefits were being given to people like Aleem Khan, Faisal Wawda and Jahangir Tareen. He said that it was unfortunate that the top ruler of the country was a habitual liar.
Miftah said that nobody was questioning federal minister Ali Zaidi for holding work permit for doing job in Dubai. “If holding dual nationality and work permit is bad thing then Ali Zaidi was not being questioned for that,” he said. He said that Ali Zaidi should be asked whether he was holding ‘Iqama’ or not.
He also questioned if dual nationality was a bad thing why the government ministers like Zulfi Bokhari and another government crony, Anil Musarat were not being asked about it. The former finance minister negated the claims of the government that money laundering of Rs700 billion had been unearthed, saying it was totally incorrect.
He said the government of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has failed to control deteriorating condition of economy which was obvious from continuous price hike, inflation and record devaluation of Pakistani currency. Miftah observed that the price of petrol has gone up from Rs87 per litre to Rs98 per litre, while same is the situation with other petroleum products and price hike is touching new heights.
“The average inflation rate in the last four months is nearly 6 percent, whereas it was 3.5 percent in corresponding period, last year,” he said. Miftah said the PTI government was also claiming that they have received loans from Saudi Arabia and now they are expecting loan from China and UAE, questioning why now they were going to IMF for a bailout.
“What is the point now in going to the IMF,” he said, predicting that the PTI government would obtain more loans from the international financial institutions than the PML-N government did. The former minister criticised the government for raising price of gas by over 140 percent which he said was unprecedented. He said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was the biggest reality of Pakistani politics and it was the fact which could not be denied. However, he pointed out that currently Nawaz Sharif was facing cases in the accountability courts and secondly he was heartbroken due to death of his wife. “Neither Nawaz Sharif has left people nor people will forget him,” he said.
Musaddiq Malik also criticised the government for claiming that the financial emergency had been overcome. “Why there is Rs14 billion cut in health budget if there is no financial emergency,” he said.
He said on one hand the government was imposing cut in budget of the Housing Ministry while on the other they are promising the people that they will provide the masses five million houses.
On the one hand, he said, the government imposed Rs1 billion cut in water budget while on the other hand they were asking the people contribute in dam fund. He said the government has levied more than Rs90 billion amount in new indirect taxes. “The PTI leaders used to criticise the PML-N government for indirect taxes but now they themselves are following the same policy,” he said.