Minister for Finance Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Friday blamed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for inflation and the current crisis in the country, challenging the former prime minister to a live debate on economy.
In a televised address, the finiance minister accused Imran of presenting “incorrect facts” during his speech today, stating that the ex-premier was responsible for defaming the country and spreading false propaganda of default.
He said that inflation reached a historic high during the PTI government’s tenure and that the rupee had depreciated due to the PTI’s failed economic policies.
“All statements of Imran Khan are based on lies. He is responsible for the deterioration of the economy and brought the country to the brink of destruction. We are fixing what he destroyed,” he added.
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The finance minister said that the ex-prime minister presented false statistics about the economy. “You only work for the country when you are in power. Otherwise, the state does not exist for you.”
Dar said that the PML-N government decided to save the state at the cost of its political capital.
“If you had worked on the economy and had not engaged in political enmity, Pakistan would not have been where it is today. For us, there were two options: either to save the state or our politics—and we chose to sacrifice politics,” he added.
The PML-N leader said that the Imran Khan government took Rs10 triillion in loans. “The country’s debt was Rs25 trillion, which he claimed was Rs30 trillion. Imran Khan misquoted the amount and also defamed the country,” he said.
Dar said that Imran Khan called every person in Pakistan corrupt which drove the investors away, adding that the PTI government also wasted a year before approaching the IMF.
“When Imran was being ousted, he broke the agreement with the IMF. Such actions fall under the category of treason,” he said.
Dar further said that when Imran assumed power, Pakistan was ranked as the 24th largest economy, but when the PTI left it fell down to 47th rank.
Source link: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2397982/dar-blames-imran-for-economic-woes-inflation