ISLAMABAD: As the Pakistani rupee took a serious hit against the US Dollar yesterday and the interest rate hiked to record levels, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) addressed a press conference here demanding the resignation of the incumbent Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.
PTI accused Dar of bringing the Pakistan economy down on its knees in his short but disastrous tenure of five months so far. The party accused the federal government of unserious attitude towards the economy. PTI leader Hammad Azhar said that the Pakistan Democratic Movement-led government was unwilling to talk about the ever-worsening economic conditions of the country.
SACK DAR FOR THE SAKE OF ECONOMY
Azhar demanded the resignation of the finance minister, stating that he should either submit his resignation voluntarily or be sacked for disrupting the progress of the economy. He added that the mismanagement of the economy by the ruling government has led to create a mistrust between Pakistan and the global lending bodies & the friendly-nations.
LACK OF SERIOUSNESS
PTI accused the federal government of lack of seriousness and its casual attitude towards the economy that currently warrants immediate and focussed attention. Azhar said that the government’s seriousness could be judged by the fact that Minister of State for Finance Ayesha Ghaus was enjoying a three-week leave, the finance minister was hiding behind the screen in order to hide away from letting the people know of the economic damage the government has “inflicted”.
RUPEE PLUNGES TO ALL-TIME LOW
Talking about the local rupee’s performance against the greenback, Azhar said the open market rate of one US dollar was Rs310. He said that the rupee has lost nearly 60 per cent of its value ever since the PDM took charge of the government. Azhar demanded fresh elections to ensure that all uncertainties are done away with and economy is put back on track to progress.