Bilawal alleges reshuffling in financial bureaucracy on IMF behest

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto, while addressing a parliamentary session here today said that the recent developments and reshuffling in the cabinet and financial bureaucracy was apparently an exchange between IMF and IMF, ARY News reported.

He said the decision by the government with regards to the newly appointed Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Advisor to PM on Finance, and Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) was based upon the directions of the IMF.

He said that his party and allies would resist any bailout packages from international financial institutions if the parliament was not taken into confidence.

“Why does the government want an agreement with the World Bank?”, he questioned. “If the agreement is not brought to the attention of the parliament and its approval not sought then we will not accept it”, he added.

Chairman PPP also made a note of how the current price hikes and economic crisis had negatively impacted the middle and lower strata of the population.

“If someone protests the back-breaking taxes and price hike then they are thrown behind bars, what sort of a ‘Naya Pakistan’ is this? If the federal government has failed in collecting taxes than it should try and learn from the Sindh government,” He continued.

“Constructive criticism is in the favour of the country; the government should understand this”, he said, and suggested the government to stop political victimisation of its opponents.

He further said that whenever the [federal] government failed to properly govern and collect tax, it blamed the 18th amendment.

“The 18th amendment has not turned the federation bankrupt, rather it’s the government’s incompetence which has made them reach this stage, ” the young parliamentarian lashed out.

“The government has dropped a 9 rupee petrol bombshell on the people of the country; it has failed to tax the rich and provide relief to the poor,” he said.