Imran Khan govt's 'ship is about to sink': Pak leader Fazal-ur-Rehman

Pakistan’s hard-line politician Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman lambasted Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government on December 9 claiming its “ship is about to sink”. Speaking to protesters in Islamabad, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief said that the concerns about the economy have now extrapolated to government’s existence.

"Previously we used to say that the economy's ship is rocking. I salute your tenacity. Now we can proudly say that the government's ship is about to sink," said Rehman.

Referring to the Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) tenure, Rehman added, “The journey that was begun for the sake of the Constitution is near its destination now.” He has been holding anti-government protests across the country that started in Karachi on October 27.

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Pakistan's economy in tatters

Rehman attacked the ruling government for its unfulfilled poll promises of 10 million jobs and said that it rendered 2.5 million youth unemployed. "Who can accept a government which is run by foreign hands when we had rid ourselves of foreign rule all those years ago?" he posed a rhetorical question. The firebrand leader declared that the “victory is near” and that "even looking back would be a sin now".

Pakistan’s economy has been facing a severe slowdown and even Pakistan’s Prime Minister has shown concerns about growing dependency on foreign nations for support. He lamented the fact that it will never become self-dependent if it keeps taking loans from China, UAE, and Saudi Arabia. “When I went to foreign nations to collect funds...I am very grateful to the UAE, China, Saudi Arabia and even Qatar...But this is not good for the dignity of a nation, asking for loans from others,” said Khan.

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On December 6, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $1 billion emergency loan for Pakistan to boost the country’s public finance and “help strengthen a slowing economy”. Pakistan has been facing difficulties in accessing financial assistance after it was placed on the ‘Grey List’ by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The decision to provide immediate budget support was taken by the ADB to stabilise Pakistan’s economy after the country witnessed major deterioration in its fiscal position in mid-2018. 

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(With ANI Inputs)