IMF team met its own people in Pakistan: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

LAHORE: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has sarcastically said that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) team came to Pakistan, met its own officials and decided the fate of the Pakistani people.

Talking to the media after visiting the residence of PPP leader Bailum Hasnain on Friday, he criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s deal with the IMF, saying that what kind of a deal was that where the IMF representative came to Pakistan, spoke to the head of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), who was also associated with the Fund in the past, and decided the economic rights of the people.

The people of Pakistan should be making these decisions. But this is only possible if government representatives have been elected by the people he said. He said the PPP had warned the government from the very first day regarding their deal with the IMF.

“When you negotiate with such an institution, you do not comply with each and every point they put forward you speak in favour of your country and of the people. “The PTI government’s interactions with the IMF have lacked seriousness they did not have a plan. For a year they went back and forth on whether to approach the IMF or not. When they finally made a decision instead of representing the country and its people they complied with every single point.

They were not considering the lives of the common man they do not understand how Pakistan s economy works. They gave incorrect tax collection targets to the IMF as they are not aware of the country’s capacity.

Even after they revised their targets they were unable to meet their goal, the burden of which inevitably fell on the people, he said. Bilawal said that spying of judges of superior courts is a serious issue and the government has to answer over it.

The PPP chairman stated if a PM could be sent home for not writing a letter on court's orders, why cant he be sent home for spying of judges. He said this was an issue of the serious nature and tantamount to the assault on judiciary.

Grilling the PTI government, he said it released the Indian pilot who attacked Balakot whereas a terrorist like Ihsanullah Ihsamn escaped from the prison adding the present regime was only taking such point scoring measures just to come out of the FATF grey list.

To another question, he said if the opposition leader didn’t return to Pakistan, the opposition parties would devise their strategy.

Responding to a question about the murder of journalist Aziz Memon, the PPP chairman said the investigation office as per the demand of the family of the deceased had been appointed and stated the Sindh government would ensure that justice was done to the family of the late journalist.

The PPP chairman also attended the reception hosted by PPP woman leader Bailum Husnain and stated that her house was a hub of political activity and resistance against martial law in Zia regime.