Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Parliamentary Leader in Senate Sherry Rehman has asked the government to share with parliament the details of high-level meetings with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“Neither the prime minister nor the finance minister had briefed the parliament on the terms of the negotiations. Before briefing the IMF with the terms of agreement regarding the country’s foreign debts, the government should have discussed it in parliament. What is this secrecy all about?” questioned the senator.

She added that it was highly disrespectful to both houses and the people of Pakistan that media outlets knew more about the deals that the government had been making back-to-back. “The parliament was also not briefed prior to the prime minister’s major international trips. We have a right to know and like every functioning democracy, the right to deliberate on matters of this importance.”

The senator said that she had taken up the matter in the Senate and had called for the minister to address the House. “Crucial information regarding Pakistan’s balance of payments remains unknown to parliament. How will we pay for our $95 billion external debt? A serious government should not allow conversations around such sensitive issues to be dominated by speculation and hearsay. We need a clear answer,” the senator insisted.

The PPP, she said, had asked the government to present the facts and conditions that they agreed to and intend to with the IMF and other international lenders. “Is there anything suspicious that the government is trying to avoid parliament?” she questioned.

“If there is one and the government has failed to lay out the strategy prior to engaging international lenders then they will have to explain because we are not going to cease asking questions.”

Published in Daily Times, November 14^th 2018.