LAHORE: PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal has stated that Prime Minister Imran Khan has become a “security risk” for the country as he is playing with its interests.

Mr Iqbal told a presser here on Saturday that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government has compromised on the autonomy of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

“Time has come to get rid of this inept government as it has failed on all fronts. The Pakistan Democratic Movement’s anti-inflation march on March 23 will bring a change in the country,” he asserted, adding that through the passage of bills in parliament, the government compromised on the financial independence of the country. “We hope the Senate will not let these bills pass.”

He lamented that after serving the SBP, its governor, deputy governor and board members could also work for the International Monetary Fund. Even parliament could not do legislation without the approval of the SBP, he said and maintained that all transactions of foreign funding (of the ruling PTI) had been made through the central bank.

“The government wants to please the SBP governor so that it could freely play with the foreign funding case,” the PML-N leader apprehended and pointed out the government’s contradictory approaches on appointing the SBP governor for five years and the Higher Education Commission head for two years.

The former interior minister said that in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa local government elections, the PTI faced its worst defeat, while in the by-polls in Lahore, Khanewal, Wazirabad, Daska and KP, the PML-N emerged victorious showing complete distrust of the people on the policies of the “selected” government that had made lives miserable through soaring inflation, price hike and unemployment.

Mr Iqbal further claimed as time passed there would be more division among the PTI ranks. For the next general elections, the ruling party would not find candidates, he predicted. He was referring to the criticism from two PTI leaders on PM Imran Khan and his policies.

Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak and MNA Noor Alam Khan adopted a defiant stance and assailed the policies of their own government. MNA Alam even demanded top cabinet members, including the PM himself, be placed on the Exit Control List for being “main culprits behind the chaos in the country”.

Mr Iqbal said the government and PTI leadership were doing politics on Nawaz Sharif’s health only to divert people’s attention from real issues. Critical of the role of PTI allies, he said those parties who were providing oxygen to the beleaguered government would have a bleak future.

Former National Assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq asked incumbent Speaker Asad Qaiser to stay neutral while running the House. He said treasury members went to the National Assembly for the passage of two important bills on Jan 13 after receiving “phone calls” (a reference to the establishment).

MrSadiq once again said he was going to London next month. Earlier, he had claimed he would go to the UK soon and bring along former premier Nawaz Sharif.

Mr Sharif has been in the UK since November 2019 for his medical treatment.

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2022