Govt left with no choice, says Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif blaming Imran Khan's PTI for fuel price hike
Jun 16, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], June 16 : Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said that the Government was 'left with no choice' but to raise fuel prices while blaming the previous Imran Khan-led PTI government for signing the 'worst ever deal' with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
"Acutely aware of the impact that a fuel price hike causes. Govt is left with no choice but to raise the prices due to IMF deal that PTI govt signed. Will take the nation into confidence on the specifics of the IMF-PTI deal soon. We will get out of these economic difficulties," the Prime Minister tweeted today.
His remarks came a day after fuel prices were increased for the third time in as many weeks.
In another tweet, Shehbaz Sharif lashed out at Imran Khan and blamed him for the deteriorating economic situation of the country.
"I wonder whether those who struck the worst ever deal with IMF and took patently bad economic decisions have the conscience to face the truth. How can they pretend to be innocent when what the nation is going through is clearly their doing? Details soon," he said further.
Pakistan's government on Wednesday increased fuel prices by up to 29 per cent, removing fuel subsidies in an attempt to trim the fiscal deficit and secure critical support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
This is the third cut in fuel subsidies in about 20 days.
The prices of high-speed diesel (HSD), petrol, kerosene and light diesel oil (LDO) have gone up by a massive 83 per cent, 56 per cent, 73 per cent and 68.4 per cent respectively, since May 26, Dawn newspaper reported.
The IMF wants Pakistan to take strict measures to control its fiscal deficit in the face of a balance-of-payments crisis. Pakistan Finance Minister Miftah Ismail had alleged that the Imran Khan-led government did not tell the people about these agreements.
