Islamabad: Drawing a comparison with India, Pakistani opposition leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman, in his inaugural address in Parliament, said while the neighboring country was striving to become a “global superpower”, Pakistan was headed towards “bankruptcy”.
“In August 1947, India and Pakistan got Independence together. Today, India is dreaming of becoming a global superpower, while we are begging to avoid bankruptcy. Who is responsible for this?” Fazlur Rehman, chief of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan, asked fellow lawmakers.
Cash-strapped Pakistan is receiving a $3 billion bailout funding package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the agency agreed to immediately disburse its final tranche. Islamabad is planning to seek more funds from the IMF.
According to media reports, in Karachi, a kilogram of flour now commands a staggering 800 Pakistani rupees (PKR), a stark surge from its former price of 230 PKR. Even a single roti, a staple of Pakistani cuisine, has seen its cost rise to 25 PKR per piece.
Pakistan’s leading right-wing Islamic leader also criticized the recently held general elections, asserting that “the establishment and bureaucracy had no role” in the elections and in running the country. “What kind of election is this where the losers are not satisfied, and the winners are upset?” he said.
He also questioned the legitimacy of the current Parliament and accused its members of forsaking principles and “selling democracy,” as reported by news agency ANI, citing local media sources.
“There are powers behind the walls controlling us, and they make decisions while we are just puppets,” Fazlur Rehman said. The opposition leader further stated, “Governments are formed in palaces, and bureaucrats decide who will be the Prime Minister… How long will we continue to compromise? How long will we seek help from external forces to be elected as lawmakers?”
Pakistan, which held a parliamentary election in February this year, saw no party securing a majority. The PML-N of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif formed a coalition with the PPP to form the government, with Shehbaz Sharif at the helm. The country is in the midst of an unprecedented economic crisis. However, the government hopes that with the help of IMF funds, macroeconomic stability can be achieved soon.
