ISLAMABAD/LONDON: The establishment wants the prime minister, face of the coalition government, to take “tough economic decisions”, including the critical increase in prices of petroleum products and presenting the annual budget, and call snap elections immediately afterwards, claimed prominent news anchor Najam Sethi.
In February, the government of former prime minister Imran Khan announced a cut in petrol and electricity prices despite a steep rise in the global oil market, pledging to freeze the new rates until the next budget in June.
Petrol and diesel prices were slashed by Rs10 a litre and electricity rates by Rs5 per unit, Khan said in a televised address to the nation.
Since then, global oil prices have gone through the roof. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif faces a crucial few weeks when he must end fuel subsidies and convince the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that he’s doing enough to win a bailout.
In his political chat show, Najam Sethi Show, Sethi, who is considered close to the Sharif family and served as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) between 2013 and 2018, said the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) initially thought they’d have until mid-2023 when the Parliament completes its five-year term, leaving them with ample time to take difficult economic decisions and recover from its political fallout.
However, the coalition government is now finding itself in a no-win situation. Sethi, who was recently in London to meet the elder Sharif, claimed the generals now want the government to increase petroleum prices, present the budget in June, and hand over the reins to a caretaker setup who’d then call elections in July.
The generals intend to finish the process by September and have the new government in office by October when the three-year extension of Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa expires.
Sethi implied the military has buckled under Khan’s pressure who has since his ouster been exhibiting street muscle in rally after rally. “They could’ve done the same to Imran Khan [pressure him to call early polls] but they didn’t,” he said.
The coalition of 11 parties will quit than increase petrol prices and face the music, Sethi said.
