Fazalur Rehman, Shahid Khaqan term budget 'IMF influenced'

ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister and chief Awaam Pakistan—a newly formed political party—Shahid Khaqan Abbasi called on Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman, ARY News reported.

The JUI-F spokesperson said that both the leaders Pakistan’s political situation. “The leaders expressed concern over the increasing inflation and lawlessness,” the spokesperson added.

The JUI-F spokesperson said that Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman also expressed reservations about the budget 2024-25.

He said that both the leaders were of the view that budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 is not for the people, but is ‘based on’ International Monetary Fund (IMF) instructions.

The JUI-F spokesperson also reiterated that the party would not accept ‘fake’ general elections 2024.

Earlier, Maulana Fazlur Rehman demanded new general elections in Pakistan, rejecting the February 8 polls as ‘unacceptable’.

Addressing a press conference, Fazlur Rehman claimed that the government has ‘no powers’ to address their concerns and that the elections held on February 8 were not transparent.

He demanded that the right to vote be restored to the people and fresh elections be held under a transparent system.

Fazl also referred to the US Congress’s recent resolution on Pakistan’s elections, saying that it has raised questions about the legitimacy of the polls. He questioned the passage of such resolution, asking whether this was a diplomatic failure.