Audio Leak – Experts, businessmen denounce PTI’s plot to sabotage IMF programme

ISLAMABAD, Aug 31 (APP):Economic experts, business leaders and politicians on Wednesday strongly came down on the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf for a “sinister” unsuccessful plot to sabotage loan programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that could have overturned country’s economy.
The comments came on the recent audio-leak of telephone calls of former Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin with the Finance Ministers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, for hatching conspiracy to fail the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme ahead of IMF board meeting.
The financial experts termed it a “sinister” move at a time when the country was already facing financial problems and the recent floods had played havoc with infrastructure, crops and economy of the country.
“Pakistan’s economy is currently going through a critical phase and such a move by PTI leaders is aimed at destabilizing the economy,” President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Shakeel Munir told APP.
He said, the people were already living in miserable conditions when they were hit hard by the devastating floods that inflicted loss of around $10 billion by damaging houses, standing crops, orchards, livestock and other properties.
Shakeel Munir urged the politicians not to indulge in such dangerous moves for political interests as it posed a serious threat to country’s sovereignty. Instead the political leaders need to work jointly for economic improvement at a time when extensive damages were inflicted on country’s economy.
“Politicians should realise that the country’s financial conditions cannot withstand such things and work together to improve national economy,” he remarked.