Imran defends PTI protest outside IMF HQ

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has justified his party workers’ protest outside the International Monetary Fund office in the US. In an informal conversation with journalists in Adiala Jail on Saturday, he termed the alliance with the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) a mistake and said that talks were held with Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen, Sunni Ittehad Council and Shirani Group. He said that an alliance should have been made with all the three parties. He justified the PTI protest outside the IMF office but expressed ignorance about anti-army banners and slogans during the protest.

He opposed Pakistan getting a loan from the IMF saying that political stability was necessary before getting the loan. When asked why he had taken a loan from the IMF in his tenure, he said the loan received from three countries was not enough, so he had to go to the IMF. The PTI protested outside IMF and World Bank offices at a time when an IMF delegation is in Pakistan for a review before the release of a third tranche of $1.1 billion under the standby agreement and negotiations are going on with Pakistani authorities.

The PTI protesters demanded that the IMF should impose strict conditions on loans to Pakistan and link the release of funds to election results and investigations into allegations of rigging. The protesters held banners for the release of the PTI founder and against the armed forces of Pakistan.