Bilawal asks govt to tear IMF deal

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Wednesday demanded of the government to tear the agreement with the IMF and renegotiate with the IMF afresh.

“It is demand of every man living in Pakistan to tear this ‘PTI-IMF’ deal, tear your ’PTI-IMF’ agreement, go back to the IMF and renegotiate so that we can get a deal in the favour of Pakistan,” he said while talking to the newsmen outside the Parliament House on Wednesday.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said, “We do not approve this IMF deal. This is not beneficial for the economy of Pakistan, citizens, this is a PTI-IMF deal and we do not accept economic murder of our people,” he said.

He said this government is incapable, cannot do politics and also even cannot run the government, cannot run the economy and even it cannot even renegotiate. “You gambled on the rights of the people of Pakistan. You gambled on the economic independence of the people of Pakistan and brought this PTI-IMF before us. After these fifteen months, every Pakistani knows that you compromised on their economic rights,” he said.

He said the manner with which this incompetent team has carried out the negotiations is wrong. “We are not saying not to go back, we are saying that in your ‘PTI-IMF’ deal you did not put forth the economic reality of Pakistan. You should renegotiate on these grounds and the way that the economy is being run and this IMF programme has been implemented, they are squeezing the life out of our economy,” he said.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said this government does not talk on facts, reality and the present time. “This government only knows how to use foul language and curse; it only talks about the past,” he said.

The PPP chairman said whenever they raise these questions, they get foul language from the government side. “Imran Khan himself called Modi a small man, Imran Khan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan said that. It is very disappointing that he highlighted his own words and the whole debate including the speaker was from the government’s benches,” he said.

He said the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics and State Bank, the government’s own institutions, have said that a record inflation has hit the country.

He said when they asked that the FBR is saying that tax targets have suffered a shortfall of Rs400 million, what is government answer to that. “But what did we get as an answer, we got foul language. What did we get in response, that you are Zardari’s son,” he said adding that this government only does not talk on issues, it gets personal, and it cannot tolerate criticism,” he said.

The PPP chairman said the PPP believes that, Pakistan’s economy will have to run and the entire focus will be on the people of Pakistan how they can be given employment opportunities, how they can be fed, and how they can give a shelter.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the people of the country belonging to any strata of the society are worried, be it farmers, workers, honest employees, small traders, working class, everyone is worried. ”They are worried because they are being economically killed. The food inflation increases by 78 percent in one year, the people will be worried. People will be economically killed, and who will be held accountable,” he said.

He said the people want relief, they want to live, the people want to improve future of their kids, want to feed them.

He said Adviser to PM on Finance Dr Hafeez Sheikh sahib was a minister in PPP regime and went to the IMF but they did not listen to the demands of IMF, rather, they agreed on what Pakistan said.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said he respects the finance minister very much as he always talks with respect but he is not an elected representative. They way in which the finance minister in front of the whole country said that Bloomberg is saying that Pakistan stock market is so good, and IMF is saying that its policies are being implemented in a very nice manner. “But he should forget the IMF and Bloomberg and tell me what the people of Lahore, Gujranwala, Hyderabad, ex-Fata and KP are saying,” he said.

He said, “We are their representatives, Hafeez Sheikh can be someone else’s representative, of Modi or Bloomberg. I want to make Hafeez Sheikh sahib realise that the people of Pakistan are not happy. Ask the people of Karachi, do they think that the stock market at this time is the best stock market in the world,” he questioned.

Asked Maulana Fazlur-Rehman too is a little upset and has mentioned it as well and whether he is anticipating new elections or an in-house change, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari asked to identify the issue about which the opposition is divided as the way in which the IMF deal is being implemented, the opposition is on one page regarding it. “If we see the manner in which democratic and human rights are being attacked, the opposition is on one page. If we ask whether the government should leave, the opposition is on one page,” he said.

He said he had joined politics a while ago, other political leaders are experienced and he did not think that anyone should be upset.” If anyone is upset, I am ready to play my role. We want to work for the people together,” he said.

In reply to question, PPP chairman said he is a democratic politician and always believes in democracy. “I think that if the government has to leave, new elections will have to take place,” he said. He said another system will not be acceptable to them, the system that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Quaid-i-Azam had wanted for this country, they want that to continue.

He said there are efforts to weaken that system, the system, which gives power to the poor people, which gives power to every province, they want to weaken it. “Just like your economic, constitutional and democratic rights are being attacked. We do not accept this at all,” he said.