PESHAWAR: Leader of the opposition Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday criticised the PTI government for presenting a Rs360 billion mini-budget to withdraw Rs215 billion subsidy and insisted that the initiative was taken at the behest of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Addressing a meeting of the JUI-F Shura’s members here, Mr Fazil said the government was making legislation to strengthen the hold of IMF and the World Bank (WB) over the finance ministry and State Bank of Pakistan.

JUI-F chief says govt surrendered SBP to world lenders

He said the imposition of 17 per cent new taxes would further burden the people.

The JUI-F chief said inefficient and selected government had made a compromise on the country’s sovereignty by surrendering the SBP to international lending agencies.

He said the state institutions had confirmed the country’s bankruptcy.

Mr Fazl said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project was a game-changer for the country’s economy but the PTI government had rolled it back.

He said the SBP hadn’t issued loans since 2019 showing the failure of the government’s economic policies.

The JUI-F leader told Shura members that the government had violated the sanctity of parliament by tabling ultra-constitutional bills.

He said he had informed the people about the intentions of the selected rulers three years ago.

Mr Fazl said the results of the recent local body elections in 17 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had given a hope to the people about the government’s ouster.

He said the people had accepted the JUI-F’s narrative in elections and voted for its candidates and would do so in the next phase of elections. He also alleged rigging in the LG polls.

The JUI-F had routed the ruling PTI in the local body elections and bagged 16 seats of tehsil councils. It also bagged the seat of Peshawar’s mayor.

Mr Fazl again resented the merger of the erstwhile Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and said the federal and provincial governments didn’t fulfil their commitments made to the people of tribal districts.

He also expressed displeasure over the Supreme Court’s orders for the demolition of a mosque in a Karachi park and said a former chief justice had ordered the release of an alleged blasphemer.

The JUI-F chief said the accused was released to seek the blessings of the Western countries.

The party’s central leaders, including Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and Akram Durrani, parliamentarians, mayors and councillors-elect also attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2022