Imran Khan creating hurdles in revival of IMF programme: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has strongly criticised Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for ‘creating hurdles’ in the revival of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, which according to him was reached during the latter’s tenure, ARY News reported on Saturday.

In a statement, the prime minister said that Imran Khan was out to create hurdles in the revival of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme “which was reached during the tenure of PTI government”.

PM Shehbaz Sharif said that the creation of chaos on roads and anarchy was a part and parcel of his agenda, aimed at fanning the fire of instability in the country. “The timid person did not allow the courts to search him as he is guilty,” he added.

He said Imran Khan did not want the poor people of the country to be lifted from the issues of price inflation and economic pressure nor desired the steering of national resources. “Imran Khan’s evasion of courts amounts to the height of cowardice,” the prime minister observed.

“First, he [Imran] left the IMF programme and now resisting the courts”, PM Shehbaz said, adding that the PTI chief had also deviated from his promises and ideals.

Furthermore, the prime minister said that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and his party faced the worst kind of vengeance at the hands of ‘NAB-Khan’ connivance in the past.

“We have faced the courts and laws in the trumped-up charges framed against our family members including sons, daughters and sisters,” he added. “The PML-N leadership endured the ordeals of death cells and braved the unfounded cases of heroin”, he added.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have yet to reach an agreement on the bailout package.

“The Ministry of Finance and IMF officials won’t held negotiations as the two sides have taken an interval of three days, to consider over dissenting points,” according to sources.

The two sides will now hold talks on March 13 (Monday), sources said.

The State Bank and the IMF officials last night held talks over the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP), sources said. According to sources, Pakistan has implemented all advance conditions of the IMF for the staff level agreement.