Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said International Monetary Fund (IMF) team would travel to Pakistan in two to three days to finalise ninth review of Pakistan’s $ 7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF). Addressing inaugural ceremony of Hazara Electric Supply Company (HESC) here he said Pakistan entered $ 6 billion IMF programme in 2019, which was increased to $ 7 billion last year. programme’s ninth review, which would release $ 1.18 billion is currently pending. It had earlier been put off for two months due to PML-N-led government’s unwillingness to accept certain conditions placed before it by Fund and disagreements have yet to be resolved.

During his address, he said he had spoken with International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva last night regarding Pakistan’s agreements with international money lender. He highlighted that he assured Georgieva current government wished to fulfil terms of agreement previous government had “Broken and shattered”. He said that Pakistan would try its best to fulfil terms of IMF agreement but also highlighted destruction brought by last year’s catastrophic floods. Shehbaz said he told Georgieva that “Economic situation is in front of you, I can’t burden common man any further. She assured me that she understands my difficulty”. He asked Georgieva to dispatch delegation to Pakistan in order to complete ninth review of IMF programme.

“She told me that an IMF team will arrive in Pakistan in two to three days”. Addressing inaugural ceremony of HESC, Shehbaz said, “We paid heavy price when we took over government. We knew economic situation was bad but I had not anticipated extent to which that Imran Khan has completely destroyed everything.” He lambasted Imran for “Taking out funeral” of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and for making “Baseless” corruption allegations against Chinese companies. He criticised his predecessor for sitting idle instead of buying gas when it was available in international market at cheaper rates. “Imran had no interest in Pakistani people. If he did, he would have set aside political vendettas, verbal abuses and would have initiated projects for people.” He further said that Imran did not initiate single project during his tenure or lay down “Single brick”.

He further termed Imran to be “Biggest hypocrite and most thankless person”, referring to PTI leader’s statements against country’s top institutions. Talking about HESC, he said that demand of people of Hazara for better electricity supply system, owned and supervised by people had been fulfilled. 

Published in The Daily National Courier, January, 07 2023

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