PM Warns of More Burden on People After IMF Deal

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Tuesday said that the conditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would result in ‘more burden’ on the people.

Speaking in the Geo News program Capital Talk, the premier blamed the IMF’s tough conditions on the previous government.

The prime minister said that the previous government violated the commitments given to the IMF and as a result, the global lender is now adamant that Pakistan has to fulfill all conditions at any cost. The premier said that he is aware that many in Pakistan are finding it hard to put food on the table, buy medicines and pay for the education of their children.

He claimed that former prime minister Imran Khan had ‘almost’ defaulted Pakistan apart from straining the country’s relations with a number of friendly countries.

However, the premier highlighted that his government has provided relief to the downtrodden people through the Benazir Income Support Program. He further said that the wave of inflation is also due to the higher cost of imported items as commodity prices have risen since the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

It is pertinent to mention here that inflation in Pakistan is set to break the almost 50-year record of 29.3 percent witnessed in April 1975. The country is also struggling to secure financing from friendly countries which has delayed the IMF bailout.

Recently, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said that Fund has asked Pakistan to raise tax revenues and have a fairer distribution of pressures by moving subsidies only toward people who really need them. She emphasized that the IMF is very clear that it wants the poor people of Pakistan to be protected.