Govt bowed before IMF, Bilawal fires broadside at PTI

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led federal government has bowed before the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Wednesday in a reference to the removal of the State Bank governor and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman.

“Will the IMF make decision about these key appointments,” he questioned while severely criticising the government’s decision to appoint Reza Baqar as SBP governor and Shabbar Zaidi as FBR chairman.

He was speaking to the media outside the Parliament House.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari slammed the government for “illegally removing the SBP governor and FBR chairman without following the procedure laid down for their removal.”

He said it has become increasingly difficult for the poor to eke out a living, adding the PTI’s tall claims have fallen flat.

He said the federation has not become bankrupt because of the 18^th Constitutional Amendment, but because of the federal government’s failure to achieve tax collection targets.

Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are bearing the brunt of the government’s failure to achieve revenue targets, he added.

The PPP chairman advised the federal government to learn from the Sindh government that has been accomplishing tax collection targets.

He said the PPP too undertook an IMF program but that didn’t adversely impact the poor people’s lives. He also took a swipe at the government for turning a deaf ear to the labourers’ plight saying their voice was being gagged.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari said the ruling PTI that promised millions of jobs before coming to power was depriving the people of their livelihood, adding that the poor people’s houses were being demolished in the name of encroachment.