IMF must ‘audit’ Pakistan’s rigged elections before bailout: Imran
“An audit of at least 30 per cent of the national and provincial assemblies’ seats should be ensured, which can be accomplished in merely two weeks,” he said
Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has urged the IMF to “audit” what he says were the rigged February 8 elections before giving any further bailout to the cash-strapped country.
Khan said while he was not against the bailout, he said the general elections, which cost Rs 50 billion or USD 180 million — were “subjected to widespread intervention and fraud in the counting of votes and compilation of results.
“This intervention and fraud have been so brazen that the IMF’s most important member countries, including the US, Britain, and countries of the European Union, have called for a full and transparent investigation into the matter,” he said in a communication to the IMF.
Imran’s appeal
“We, therefore, call upon the IMF to give effect to the guidelines adopted by it with respect to good governance as well as conditionalities that must be satisfied prior to the grant of a finance facility that is to burden the people of Pakistan with further debt.
“An audit of at least 30 per cent of the national and provincial assemblies’ seats should be ensured, which can be accomplished in merely two weeks,” he demanded.
The 71-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party founder had said last week that he would ask the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to avoid any assistance as the authorities rigged the elections to keep his party out of power.
Letter to IMF
The Press Trust of India has seen a letter addressed to IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva by party spokesperson Raoof Hasan under the guidance of Khan.
"It must be clarified at the very outset that the PTI does not wish to stand in the way of any IMF facility to the state of Pakistan that promotes the immediate as well as the long-term economic well-being of the country,” the letter read.
But it added that the IMF facility should be linked with conditions.
Pakistani outfits
The letter said it did not want the IMF to be an investigative agency and said two Pakistani outfits, the Free and Fair Election Network and PATTAN-Coalition38 had the comprehensive methodologies to conduct the election audit.
“Such a role by the IMF would be a great service to Pakistan and its people, and could become the harbinger of enduring prosperity, growth, and macroeconomic stability in the country,” the letter said.
Meanwhile, the United States has urged Pakistan to “continue working with the IMF and other international financial institutions towards macroeconomic reforms” for economic stability in the country.
Pakistan’s need
Pakistan needs $2 billion alone in March to be able to avoid an economic breakdown. The current IMF aid programme is expected to conclude in the second week of April.
Official sources said the new government would seek a fresh loan of about USD 6 billion from the IMF to help it address the issue of balance of payments.
Pakistan last year avoided default after the IMF provided a USD 3 billion short-term loan and it may face problems to meet external liabilities in case the new IMF loan is delayed.
Nawaz takes oath
In Islamabad, three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday took oath as a lawmaker in the 16th session of Pakistan’s National Assembly, days after giving up his bid to lead the country for a record fourth time.
After a poor showing in the electoral battle, Nawaz, 74, abandoned his claim to be the prime minister and said his younger brother Shehbaz, 72, will head a coalition led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Sharif is back in Parliament after seven long years. His terms as the prime minister were in 1990-93, 1997-99 and in 2013-17, none of them for a complete five years.
Coalition again
Amid sloganeering, Nawaz Sharif took oath along with his brother Shehbaz.
As per the Constitution, a party must win 133 out of 265 contested seats in the 266-member National Assembly to form a government.
Independent candidates – a majority backed by Imran Khan's PTI – won 93 seats. The PML-N won 75 while the PPP came third with 54 seats. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan has 17 seats.
Nawaz not quitting
The PML-N and PPP have allied with four smaller parties to keep the PTI out of power.
PML-N leaders and Nawaz Sharif's daughter and now Punjab chief minister Mariam Nawaz have reiterated that Nawaz Sharif was not quitting politics and he would continue to guide the party.
(With agency inputs)
