Sheikh Rashid thinks economy too far gone for Dar to fix

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: On Monday, opposition leader and Awami Muslim League (AML) President Sheikh Rashid slammed the impending return of former federal finance minister Ishaq Dar, noting that the economy was too far gone even for the famed financial wizard to fix.

In a message posted on the social media site Twitter on Monday, Rashid had some choice words about the impending return of Dar to the country after a lapse of nearly five years and his expected takeover of the federal finance ministry as the government seeks to take the gloves off in tackling runaway inflation and other poor economic indicators while consolidating itself ahead of elections next year.

He claimed that a man who has been declared an absconder first fled the country in the prime minister’s official plane is now returning to Pakistan in the official plane of another prime minister. Rashid added this showed a certain level of shamelessness and belligerence of the former finance minister and the incumbent government.

The former railways and interior minister suggested that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) bringing back Dar to help fix the economy showed their desperation. He added that reviving the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) did not bring the promised benefits, which was concerning.

He went on to ask what Dar would do differently to control the prices of US dollar, power, and flour which his predecessor Miftah Ismail had not already tried. He warned that if the country’s political deadlock extends further, the poor will suffer.
Rashid took a swipe at the government, claiming that the decision on the future of the government coalition under the banner of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) by November 15, adding that the emergence of audio leaks of conversations within the highest offices was concerning.

On the contents of audio leaks, he said talks of trade with India and relations with Israel betrayed the real intentions of this government. He added that the politicians at the helm of affairs are not thinking of the common man, only trading barbs on media and presenting an outlook of being people-friendly.