Sole solution to country’s problems was elections which should be held as soon as possible: Sheikh Rashid

In a tweet on Tuesday, Sheikh Rashid said that immediately after Eid-ul-Fitr there would be a frenzy in the political scenario. “Resignations could be taken and resignations could be given.” Sheikh Rashid claimed that the sole solution to the country’s problems was elections which should be held as soon as possible.

The former minister said that the government was “digging its own grave” by giving into the pressure of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and curbing fuel subsidies. “Imran Khan was going to get us 30 per cent cheaper gas, wheat and petrol from Russia,” he said.

“This could have given the public a big relief and inflation would have reduced,” Sheikh Rashid said, adding that “imperialist conspiracies” deprived the nation of cheap gas, petrol and wheat.

He also warned that abolishing fuel subsidies would provide impetus to the anti-government movement which would push the government towards its end.

“They’ve talked about removing the subsidy on fuel. I agree with them,” Ismail, himself a former IMF economist, had said at the Atlantic Council. “We can’t afford to do the subsidies that we’re doing. So we’re going to have to curtail this,” he had added.

He also hinted that besides withdrawing the Rs21 per litre subsidy on petrol, the government could also increase the fuel prices even further. The IMF, meanwhile, said in a statement after the talks that it was “agreed that prompt action is needed to reverse the unfunded subsidies which have slowed discussions for the 7th review.