Abandoning missile program: ‘Smells like another cipher story in the making’

After reports of rumoured International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) condition for Pakistan to abandon the long-range missile program, former senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar expressed concerns and said that it ‘smells like another cipher story in the making’, ARY News reported on Friday.

Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said in a Twitter message that Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s insinuations are dangerous. He added that it smells like another cipher story in the making.

READ: PM TERMS SPECULATIONS ABOUT PAKISTAN NUCLEAR PROGRAMME ‘MISLEADING’

He added, “No such demands were made from [former finance minister] Miftah Ishaq when he put the IMF program back on track or from the previous govt’s when they went to the IMF. Lengths politicians would go to cover up for their incompetence!”

Dar’s insinuations r dangerous. Smells like another cipher story in the making. No such demands were made 4m Miftah when he put the IMF program back on track or 4m previous govt’s when they went to the IMF. Lengths politicians would go to cover up for their incompetence! https://t.co/45EgeEsCLx

— Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar (@mustafa_nawazk) March 17, 2023

Khokhar was commenting on a media report which stated that Finance Minister Ishaq Dar snubbed the demand for abandoning long-range nuclear missiles and said that nobody has any right to tell Pakistan what range of missiles it can have, also pointing out the “uncustomary” attitude of the IMF.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday snubbed the demand for abandoning long-range nuclear missiles and said that nobody has any right to tell Pakistan what range of missiles it can have, also pointing out the “uncustomary” attitude of the IMF https://t.co/HHLppdvufl

— Shahbaz Rana (@81ShahbazRana) March 16, 2023

Earlier in the day, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Vice President Fawad Chaudhry claimed that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has asked Pakistan to halt its long-range missile program.

READ: IMF ASKED PAKISTAN TO HALT LONG-RANGE MISSILE PROGRAM, CLAIMS FAWAD

Talking to newsmen outside the Lahore High Court, Fawad Chaudhry said the international lender is asking Pakistan to ‘stop’ its defense programme.

Lashing out at Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, the former federal minister said that he has ruined Pakistan’s ties with the IMF and other international financial institutions. He reiterated that the threat of default is looming over Pakistan. Islamabad will default if it fails to secure a loan revival deal.

Fawad said first Miftah Ismail ruined the country’s economy and now Ishaq Dar is doing his job. “The journey of ‘destruction’ started by Miftah Ismail being completed by Ishaq Dar.”