Tarin & Imran reached written agreement with IMF to hike price of petrol by over Rs100 & diesel by over Rs 150 per liter: Miftah Ismail

KARACHI, May 23 (SABAH): Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Dr. Miftah Ismail Ahmed on Monday said that government cannot hike petrol price and it has decided to seek more time from International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the matter. Miftah Ismail said that he will returned back in two days after striking an agreement with the IMF, adding that without striking an agreement with IMF he will not return back and will return back with positive news from IMF. Miftah Ismil said that Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and former PM and PML-N Quaid Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has stopped him from striking any agreement with the IMF permitting Rs 150 per liter increase in diesel price and Rs 100 per liter in petrol price. Miftah Ismail said that the IMF conditions accepted by Shaukat Tarin will not be accepted by Miftah Ismail. He said that instead of one million people, Imran Khan even could not bring 10,000 people to Islamabad, adding that Imran Khan should stage sit-in and fulfill his desire.

Talking to media persons at Karachi Airport prior to leaving for Doha to hold discussions with IMF, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail said that his predecessor Senator Shaukat Fayaz Ahmed Tarin and former prime minister Imran Khan reached written agreement with the international lender to hike price of petrol by over Rs100 and diesel by over Rs 150 per liter. Mifath Ismail said that according to the formula of Shaukat Tarin and Imran he has to increase the petrol and diesel price by Rs 150 per liter, adding that we are facing these things in the result of the agreement struck by Shaukat Tarin and Imran Khan with IMF.

Miftah Ismail said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the nation could not afford increase in petroleum products, adding that I will ask IMF that I accept that Shaukat Tarin has struck an agreement being a finance minister and agreed this thing but currently Pakistani nation could not afford this so some break should be given to me and I could not do this currently.   

Talking about statement of former minister regarding allocation of funds for subsidy on petroleum products, Miftah Ismail said that he can say on oath that Shaukat Tarin is lying and asked him to show where he hid the funds. Mifah Ismail said that it might be possible that State Bank of Pakistan had to increase the interest rate. Miftah Ismail said that previous government placed land mines everywhere for the new government.

He said that Imran Khan’s government borrowed Rs 20,000 billion in three years and nine months which is 80 percent of the total loans Pakistan took in 71 years and if Imran Khan had stayed for one more year he would have crossed total debt of 71 years.

Miftah Ismail said that he is going to Doha because the IMF officials said they will not come to Pakistan as Imran Khan going to stage sit-in, adding that it is not first time that Imran Khan has stopped foreigners arriving Pakistan. He said that in 2014 Imran Khan had stopped the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Islamabad though his sit-in, adding that in 2014 the CPEC project had to be started but CPEC project was delayed for one year. He said that Imran Khan has always preferred personal politics on the interests of Pakistan and he has lied and challenged the religion of people and challenged the patriotism and honesty of the people.

Miftah Ismail said that Imran Khan had given unfettered powers of transfers and postings in Punjab to Farah Gogi for four years and she earned billions of rupees, adding that is has surfaced that where dreams were seen and where these dreams become reality and where bags went.

Miftah Ismail said that next year he has to return back $21 billion secured by Imran Khan, adding that he has to return back $3 billion to Saudi Arabia and $3 billion to United Arab Emirates but he will succeed re-rolling this money. Miftah Ismail said that Imran Khan is playing sit-in politics, which causes genuine loss to the country, adding that Imran Khan murdered CPEC and did not permit CPEC moving forward. 

Miftah Ismail said that Usman Buzdar and some other people have sold 16 cement licenses in Punjab, adding that Shehbaz Sharif did not issue a single license in 10 years but PTI issued 16 licenses in three years and sold these licenses. He said that these licenses have been given to construction and land management companies. He said that Imran Khan should tell why $190 million pounds were returned back to someone, adding that Imran Khan should tell why alignment of Rawalpindi Ring road was changed. Miftah Ismail said that it should be informed why Farah Gogi is not returning back from Dubai, adding that why Shahzad Akbar did not return back. He said that Imran Khan should tell that he had permitted Farah Gogo to make postings and transfers while taking money.

He said that the people should see the balance sheet of Candy Land and Silk Bank and should decide who can run the economy in better way.