Nawaz, Zardari threw us before IMF: Sh Rashid

SUKKUR: Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad on Monday slammed the past governments for burdening Pakistan with loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and said the current government was trying to take the country forward. “Nawaz, Zardari tied our hands and feet and threw us to the IMF,” he said.

Talking to newsmen on Monday at the Circuit House, Sukkur, Sh Rashid said Prime Minister Imran Khan is making sincere and serious efforts to pull the country out of economic crisis. He said they inherited poverty, inflation and other crisis from the previous rulers, which forced us to go to IMF. The minister said the of the “gift passed on by the previous government.”

Hailing the Pakistan-China ties, Rashid said that friendship between the two neighbours is “taller than the Himalayas”. He mentioned that the government is working with China on a number of projects, and said efforts are being made to build four industrial zones in all four provinces.

The minister said he wishes to make the railways a source of employment for the people. “We will make decisions in Pakistan’s favour.” He observed that it was the first time a sitting government did not interfere in by-elections. Taking a jibe at Pakistan People’s Party’s Khursheed Shah, Rashid said the veteran leader was an “ugly politician of a beautiful city like Sukkur.”