ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Sunday said Imran Niazi was responsible for current economic difficulties as he destabilized the country’s system for his vested political interests, committed massive corruption, badly governed, undermined relations with friendly countries and grossly violated agreement with the IMF before the vote of no-confidence against him. In an interview with a private television on Sunday, he said Imran Niazi damaged relations with friendly, brotherly countries including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and China.
“Imran Niazi falsely accused me of corruption of 45 percent in Chinese assisted projects and damaged relations with China,” he remarked. He said corruption was rife during the tenure of Imran Niazi and every day a new scandal of corruption surfaced, including sugar, wheat and Malam Jabba scams. The prime minister said the coalition partners assumed government in very difficult conditions and with great efforts his government succeeded in securing the IMF programme, after getting consent of Nawaz Sharif. He said the most difficult matters he dealt with during his government were the revival of IMF agreement, devastating floods, price hikes, restoration of ties with friendly countries and appointment of army chief.
Talking about inflation, he said price hikes were caused by skyrocketing commodity and fuel prices in the international markets and the Ukraine war. His party saved the state at the cost of its politics, he emphasized, admitting that due to price hikes the popularity of the his coalition government suffered and political capital was exhausted. He said the government brought cheap oil from Russia and now was importing liquefied natural gas from Azerbaijan at a lower cost to provide much needed relief to the people. He recalled that Imran Niazi did not buy gas from the international market at the rate of three dollars, and the negligence added to the economic difficulties of the people. He said May 9 was an anti-state activity and was an internal conspiracy led by Imran Niazi and his associates who attacked installations of armed forces.
