Ahsan Iqbal hits out at Hafeez Shaikh over failure to deal with economic crisis

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) senior leader Ahsan Iqbal  hit out at the incumbent government over its failure to deal with the economic crisis the country is going through, saying that despite eighteen months in power, the finance adviser was still clueless about solving economic problems of the country.

"This government is looting the country with both hands. There is record poverty, joblessness in the country today," the former planning minister said on Thursday afternoon while making an address during a session of the National Assembly.

Iqbal made the remarks a day after Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Abdul Hafeez Shaikh defended the financial policies of the incumbent government in the lower house, saying that the economy and exchange rate was stabilizing as a result of tough decisions.

"I also want to go to the Pakistan whose rosy picture was painted by the finance adviser yesterday. The Pakistan where there is no inflation, where there are jobs, and where rivers of milk and honey are flowing," the former minister added in clearly sarcastic undertones.

"This government has started working on a revenge agenda. Small and big investors are all taking their money out of Pakistan. Talented people are also moving out of the country. There is a critical crisis of confidence in Pakistan today," the former minister told the lower house.

"The government took longer than it should have to decide whether it should go to the International Monetary Fund for a bailout. This means that when they did sit down with the body, they negotiated from a position of weakness," Iqbal noted.

"The government laid down their arms in the negotiations with the IMF. The talks with the international body are generally very tough and one has to fight to safeguard national interests. The IMF program the government has agreed to is a weak one," the former minister added.