Imran Khan admits govt saved country from bankruptcy

Founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan acknowledged on Thursday that the incumbent federal government led by Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has stabilised the country’s economy, which was on the verge of collapse in the past years.

“The government has successfully prevented the economy from going bankrupt,” he said while speaking to journalists at Adiala Jail Rawalpindi after a hearing of the ToshaKhana case.

On being asked whether he was conceding that the government had improved the economy, the former PM responded, “The economy has been stabilised, and it has been rescued from bankruptcy, but it has not seen growth yet.”

The former Premier’s statement comes as the country witnesses improvement in economic indicators, with the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) touching an all-time high and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) slashing the interest rate to 13 per cent from a historic high of 23 per cent.

A brokerage report said on Tuesday that Pakistan’s annual consumer price inflation rate is expected to drop to 4.1 per cent in December, the lowest level in more than six years.

“We expect inflation in December to decline to 4.1 per cent YoY [year-on-year], down from last month’s 4.9 per cent. This marks the lowest inflation reading since April 2018, when it stood at 3.96 per cent,” said Arif Habib Limited in a report.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, clarified on Thursday that her brother will not accept house arrest.

Speaking to reporters outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, Aleema Khan said that knowing that rumours had been spread that her brother would be shifted to Bani Gala or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Khan made it clear that he will not accept house arrest or be moved from jail.

“I am clarifying that all political prisoners be released, and if they want to keep me in jail, they can, but I will not agree to house arrest,” Aleema Khan quoted her brother as saying.

She also stated that her brother expressed concern over the reported airstrike by Pakistani jets near the Pak-Afghan border and said that the country’s economic development is linked to peace in Afghanistan.
“Such actions in Afghanistan will destroy peace in Pakistan as well as have a direct impact on the country’s economy,” she said while quoting Imran Khan.

When questioned about the first phase of the civil disobedience movement aimed to halt remittances, Aleema said that Khan made it crystal clear that the remittance campaign would only end once the government addresses Khan’s two demands: the release of PTI workers and the formation of a judicial commission comprising three senior-most judges of the Supreme Court, to probe the event of May 9 and November 26.