Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday criticised bureaucracy and police for ‘creating hurldes’ for the government at administrative level.
Speaking to media persons, the prime minister said problems were being created at administrative level to disrupt functioning of the government by the people appointed by the previous government. “I have come into power after 22 years of struggle and therefore have necessary patience to deal with such matters,” he added.
The premier also slammed the opposition, saying it was not a “real” opposition and that most political leaders had united to save their interests.
“A lot of politicians are criminals. We have enough evidence [to ensure] criminals won’t escape,” he added.
The premier added that he would not be pressurised and would go till the end. “I will not spare any thief or a criminal,” he said, adding that there would be no deal with the opposition over sparing criminals.
The premier said the opposition’s hue and cry was an attempt to avoid arrests. “They know none of them will be able to come out clean in corruption cases. Therefore, they have started making noise from the first session of parliament,” he remarked.
Mocking his political opponent Shehbaz Sharif, PM Imran said he was trying to be Nelson Mandela.
The prime minister clarified that the government had no direct links to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and corruption cases against the opposition leaders were not initiated during the three-month-old tenure of his party’s government. “Only stability can ensure foreign investment … we are standing by our announcement of bringing back the nation’s looted money,” he added.
Commenting on increasing electricity tariff, Khan said the government had no other option as the circular debt had reached Rs 1,200 billion. “Devaluing rupee’s value was the only solution in current circumstances and the time would prove that these tough decisions were taken only on temporary basis,” he said.
On the economic front, the premier said that approaching the International Monetary Fund for a bailout was not a problem but rather the conditions that come attached to it. “Masses are already being burdened economically and that the government doesn’t want to add to it, the prime minister said.
“Approaching IMF’s doors will be the last option for this government as we are also trying to control the situation through some other sources,” he remarked. “We are getting positive messages from both Saudi Arabia and China. Both countries have already been approached for financial assistance,” he added in an apparent reference to his upcoming visits to the kingdom and Pakistan’s all-weather friend China to avoid default.
Khan said that the previous government had increased the foreign debt to Rs 36 trillion and the country would go bankrupt if the PTI government does not borrow money in the next two months.
Published in Daily Times, October 21st 2018.
