Pakistan Muslim League -N Vice President Maryam Nawaz stated on Thursday that the Inter-Services Public Relations director general’s statement was not political, but was based on facts.
The PML-N leader’s remarks came in response to the criticism of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders against DG ISPR Maj-Gen Babar Iftikhar’s statement that there was no evidence found of a ‘foreign conspiracy’, that PTI chief Imran Khan claims led to his ouster.
Maryam Nawaz while talking to the media in Islamabad harshly criticised the former premier’s policies, “Imran Khan was playing with Pakistan for four years, then when the economy was ruined, he mortgaged it to the IMF [International Monetary Fund].”
She added that the ousted government had laid an ‘economic minefield’ for their successive government, adding that the former interior minister for the PTI had even admitted to this.
Defending the petroleum price hike and additional taxes stipulated in the new budget, the PML-N vice president stated that Shehbaz Sharif’s government did not willingly impose such conditions.
“The agreement was reached with the IMF in 2019 [during Imran Khan’s government]. As Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is committed to fulfilling the agreement, we have to take steps to abide by it,” she said.
Pinning the blame of inflation onto the former government, Maryam stated that the PTI had agreed to levy taxes and increase the prices of petroleum products with the IMF. She added that according to the agreement the price of petrol should have been Rs300 per litre today.
Alluding to Imran Khan’s calls to protest, the PML-N leader said that calls for anarchy, sedition, and violence against the state will be strongly dealt with by the government.
“One corruption scandal after another is coming out against Imran Khan; he is shocked at the nation’s rejection,” she added.
