- Incarcerated former PM says the country needs political stability before anything else
ISLAMABAD: Before PTI founder Imran Khan revealed having penned a letter to the IMF on Friday, asking it to make its next loan program conditional to Pakistan conducting an audit of the February 8 general elections, party leader Senator Barrister Ali Zafar clarified that the country should continue to engage with the IMF.
Senator Zafar said that the engagement with IMF should continue to “ensure financial discipline, good governance, and economic stability which is critical for the prosperity of the people of Pakistan”.
However, shortly after Senator Zafar’s statement, Imran told the media that he had written a letter to the IMF addressing allegations of election rigging.
In an unofficial conversation with media representatives at Adiala jail, following the hearing of the £190 million case, the PTI supremo stated that the letter raises concerns about obtaining loans in such circumstances, questioning who would be responsible for repaying the international monetary body in the current circumstances.
Expressing apprehension that this loan would exacerbate poverty, the PTI founder maintained that investment needs to be attracted otherwise the loans will keep piling up. “Political stability needs to come to the country before anything else.”
Imran alleged that institutions were compromised to ensure PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s ‘selection’, causing harm to courts and organisations, including the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the process.
Imran contended that “rigging occurred in favour of Nawaz” during the elections after unfairly subjecting him to allegations.
Referring to the Rawalpindi commissioner backtracking from his earlier ‘poll rigging revelations’, the ex-premier claimed that the former official was “picked up and tortured”. “A Vigo came and picked him up. Now his software has been updated,” he added.
‘Pakistan PTI’s top priority’
In today’s statement, PTI leader Barrister Zafar said that Pakistan will always remain a top priority for the party.
Zafar’s statement came a day after Imran Khan announced from jail that he would write a letter to the IMF, demanding it to halt the next loan to Pakistan unless there was a thorough probe into the alleged election rigging.
The party faced backlash over the statement’s timing as the country is embroiled in a severe economic crisis, and the upcoming government is already eying a new IMF programme. Experts believed that writing such a letter was a terrible idea as it would not have any value but would lead to burning political capital and creating more rifts between the PTI and powerful stakeholders.
Zafar stated that the PTI will endorse all the initiatives that align with the “benefit of the country and in national interest”.
Furthermore, the party leader maintained that the PTI remained steadfast in its “struggle for democracy” and “will continue to raise its voice at all forums and expect the international community’s support”.
Zafar, speaking to the media outside Adiala jail later in the day, said the PTI founder has maintained that the IMF programme should continue for the country.
He further quoted Imran by saying that the party supremo has said that the need is to better the economy.
“The PTI founder has said that there is a need for political and economic stability and we will raise our voice for democracy on every forum possible,” Zafar said quoting Imran.
A day earlier, Zafar said, “The whole world saw that the peoples’ vote was stolen in Pakistan.” After meeting with Imran in jail he emphasised that “democracy cannot run on the mandate of theft”. He added that “when lending institutions see that there is no democracy, they do not give loans.”
In his media talk, Zafar, accompanied by incumbent PTI chairman Barrister Gohar, said that “our letter will be addressed to the IMF, and if the IMF desires discussion, an audit of election rigging must precede any dialogue.” He stressed, “Where rigging is proven, rectification must occur before the IMF engagement.”
“Our agreement with the IMF is contingent upon an audit against rigging,” he reiterated. In response to a question regarding asking Imran to reconsider writing the letter to the IMF, as such a move could enhance economic crises, Zafar said that he instead agreed with the move, saying linking loan with audit was “a necessary condition”.
‘No compromise on sovereignty, democracy’
Meanwhile, talking to the media outside Adiala jail on Friday after meeting Imran Khan, Barrister Gohar Khan reiterated the party’s intention to write a letter to the IMF, “reinforcing commitment to the welfare of the nation”.
He stressed on the PTI’s “unwavering commitment to not taking any step that would go against the state and democracy”. The letter to the IMF, he assured, would be presented promptly, “underscoring the party’s dedication to the well-being of Pakistan”.
Barrister Gohar criticised the current caretaker setup and asserted that it failed to oversee fair and just elections.
In the course of the media briefing, he mentioned the request made for the protection of commissioner Rawalpindi and his family to the judiciary. “The absence of this safeguard,” he claimed, “is what led to a change in the commissioner’s earlier statement”.
Touching upon electoral matters, the PTI chairman clarified that Form 45 were accurate, deeming Form 47 as fraudulent.
However, the PTI leader, looking ahead of the current situation, conveyed that the PTI will be a part of parliament.
Furthermore, Gohar highlighted that collective efforts were being made to enhance the country’s economy, legal framework, and democratic processes.
