ANKARA, June 05 (Online): Pakistan is \u201cvery hopeful\u201d of finalizing a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this month, according to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are still very hopeful that the IMF program will materialize. Our ninth review by the IMF will match all terms and conditions and, hopefully, we\u2019ll have some good news this month,\u201d Sharif told Anadolu in an exclusive interview in the Turkish capital Ankara.<\/p>\n
Sharif was in Ankara for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan\u2019s inauguration, one of dozens of heads of state and government who attended Saturday\u2019s ceremony.<\/p>\n
Islamabad has been negotiating with the IMF since early February for the release of $1.1 billion, part of a $6.5 billion bailout package inked in 2019 by the previous government of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
\nIn total, about $2.7 billion are left to be disbursed from the package, which is scheduled to expire this month.<\/p>\n
At the end of May, Sharif requested IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva to help revive the stalled facility, but asserted that Pakistan does have a backup plan in place.
\n\u201cWe have met all conditionalities. I repeat, each and every requirement of the IMF as prior actions has been met,\u201d Sharif told Anadolu.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of those actions are usually met after the board\u2019s approval, but this time the IMF required that those actions be met before the board\u2019s approval, so we have met them.\u201d
\nOn contingency plans in case the IMF talks fall through, Sharif emphasized the resilience and fortitude of the Pakistani nation.<\/p>\n
He said the people of Pakistan have faced challenges in the past, and if needed, will \u201ctighten our belt\u201d and rise again.
\nAccording to Sharif, Pakistan has been facing a plethora of problems since April 2022, when the current government took over after Khan was ousted in a no-trust vote.<\/p>\n
The issues are the result of the previous government\u2019s policies, the deadly floods in August, and the inflation problem, he said.
\n\u201cPakistan, in April 2022, was on the verge of default because the government of the day had violated the IMF agreement and the economy was in tatters,\u201d said Sharif.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen we had devastating floods in August 2022. Combined with that we are facing galloping inflation, because of the international situation.\u201d
\nHe asserted that his government has been able to navigate the challenges \u201cin the best possible fashion with the help of the people of Pakistan\u201d and \u201cbrotherly and friendly countries.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pakistan has been engulfed by unrest since Khan\u2019s arrest last month in a corruption case, which sparked violent protests across the country, including attacks on state and military installations.<\/p>\n
He was released after the arrest was declared illegal by the country\u2019s top court, but thousands of workers and leaders of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party have since been detained.<\/p>\n
Many of them have quit the party, or politics altogether. Some of those involved in the violence will be tried in military courts, according to the government.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the situation, Sharif said Khan faced charges of \u201cserious corruption, malpractice, and wheeling-dealing,\u201d stressing that the \u201claw had to deal with this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe, for a period of time, had been preparing his people mentally, his bunch of thugs, as I call it, to react violently, in case he\u2019s arrested,\u201d said the premier.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe planned this very serious act against the state of Pakistan. He incited his people. There\u2019s evidence beyond any doubt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sharif said Khan\u2019s supporters were instructed to torch buildings, attack institutions, and desecrate graves and monuments.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose people who have attacked civilian installations will be tried under civilian law, and those people who attacked military installations and desecrated institutions will be tried under the military act,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He explained that the act has been in place since 1951 and, apart from military personnel, allows for the trial of civilians who have \u201cdirect or indirect connection\u201d with certain criminal acts.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnder this act, once the judge awards punishment, the defendant has two appeals \u2013 one in the high court and then in the Supreme Court of Pakistan,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The \u201cbottom line of this entire process\u201d is ensuring justice \u201cso that this never takes place in Pakistan, for the rest of our life,\u201d said Sharif.<\/p>\n
\u201cWould any civilized country allow this kind of vandalism against the state, which happened on May 9 in Pakistan?\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just want to cite one example, which is what happened on Jan. 6, 2021 at Capitol Hill in Washington. Aren\u2019t those perpetrators being tried and given severe punishments so that such an act never happens again in the history of the United States?\u201d
\n\u2018T\u00fcrkiye, Pakistan one soul, two hearts that beat together\u2019<\/p>\n
Turning to bilateral ties, Sharif congratulated the people of T\u00fcrkiye on President Erdogan\u2019s reelection, hailing it as a \u201cwonderful development.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI will work very closely with my brother, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a visionary leader and a man of commitment who believes in public service. I hope our relations will enhance to a much higher level in terms of brotherhood, understanding, and economic cooperation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always maintain, and I mean it, that our two brotherly countries are like one soul with hearts that beat together. We speak different languages, but we understand what we\u2019re saying through our hearts. So, I think it\u2019s a great opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sharif said Pakistan and T\u00fcrkiye will boost cooperation in the near future to enhance trade and foster mutual growth by focusing on areas such as biogas, solar energy, and hydropower.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ANKARA, June 05 (Online): Pakistan is \u201cvery hopeful\u201d of finalizing a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this month, according to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. \u201cWe are still very hopeful that the IMF program will materialize. Our ninth review by the IMF will match […]<\/p>\n
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