The government had given subsidies to low income class on petroleum products by giving concession to the motorcyclists and cars up to 800 CC of Rs 100 per liter. The government plan was to cover the deficit by selling the petrol at higher rates to vehicles bigger than 800 CC.
But the International Monetary Fund (IMF) raised the eyebrows on the decision by saying that the IMF was not taken on board with the decision.
After the objection from the IMF the government had postponed the implementation of the decision within 24 hours after issuance of subsidy orders.
Now the government of Pakistan even could not take a decision on its own, which is leaving a bad impact among the people, it looks like the country has been mortgaged just for a 6.00-billion-dollar package. Now the government is engaged in negotiation with the IMF for the next installment of 1.2 billion dollars, which is the part and parcel of the total package of 6.00 billion dollars’ deal.
In her fresh statement the Country Director International Monetary Fund, Esther Pérez Ruiz, has said that though Pakistan has done a lot in fulfilling the conditions laid down by IMF for signing agreement with the Finance Ministry of the country but there are still some conditions, which the country has to fulfil for settlement of the deal.
Now what are the “hard conditions” that the government is reluctant to satisfy the international donor agency even despite its eagerness to break the deal with the IMF.
The situation created many questions in the minds of the Pakistani nation as to why Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar sensed the necessity for issuing statements about the safety of the nuclear programme of Pakistan . Why Dar had to speak in the parliament that nobody can tell the country that the missiles of which range Pakistan should keep.
Are these questions related to the IMF deal? This is the question the people want to know its answer, because the atomic programme of the country is the matter of life and death for the entire nation as it can bear everything but will not tolerate any compromise on its nuclear arsenal.
The past and present governments have given control to the IMF to such an extent that now the Prime Minister of the country cannot even provide some relief to the common man at his own will.
This is a point to ponder as well as a matter of national integrity that donner agencies are directly interfering in the strategic matters of the country.
If there is some authenticity in the questions that are raised in the minds of Pakistan people, then it is high time that the parliament and other institutions of the country should express some kind of alarm on the voices raised about the strategic issues in terms of the agreement with the IMF.
But it is hoped that the apprehensions in this regard would not be factual as any feebleness on the matter would not only jeopardize the country itself but also shake the confidence of the people in the government.
Ends