Daily Times

PPP leader Sharjeel Memon has slammed former prime minister Imran Khan for writing a letter to the International Monetary Fund and demanding that the loan programme should be linked with the election audit.

“An artificial leader, who has not even spent four to five months in jail, like a suicide bomber wants to attack the 240 million people of this country,” he told reporters in Karachi.

He was speaking in reaction to Khan’s decision to write a letter to the international lender with which Pakistan averted default last year through a nine-moment stand-by arrangement.

The South Asian country would complete the $3 billion loan programme in March this year and the final review would be discussed with the new government which would be a Pakistan Democratic Movement redux led by a coalition of parties.

Earlier this month, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar confirmed that the new government would have to have a new agreement with the IMF.

On February 22, Bloomberg News while citing an official reported that Pakistan planned to seek a new loan of at least $6 billion from the IMF to help the incoming government repay billions in debt due this year.

Although the PTI has clarified that the party will not do anything to harm the state, the PPP leader criticised the former ruling party for their decision.

“That person like a suicide bomber wants that every child in this country should cry for food because he did not get power, so his followers should open their eyes and decide who is doing what with others,” Memon said.

Memon was speaking to reporters after newly elected representatives took oath as members of the provincial assembly on Sunday amid protests and roadblocks.

He claimed that the PTI’s decision was aimed at getting government. “Whether IMF ensures us that we will get the mandate or IMF stops agreement with Pakistan,” Memons said while explaining the PTI’s alleged attempts.

The PPP leader wondered whether it was right to ask any international institution to interfere in the country’s internal matters.

He expressed hope that the letter would not bear any results, but he warned that millions of people in the country would suffer “if the worst comes to the worst” the IMF accepted the demand.

Memon added that not a patriotic citizen can have such an approach.