Imran Khan attacks Pak Army, blames it for worsening economic crisis

May 13, 2022 20:06

Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan on Friday took a veiled dig at the powerful army for allowing the Opposition's crucial no-confidence motion filed against him to become a success, saying he had warned the "neutrals" that if the "conspiracy" succeeded, the country's fragile economic recovery would go into a "tailspin."

Khan took to social media after the Pakistani rupee continued to depreciate and reached Rs 193 against the US dollar, the lowest in the country's history.

He said the "imported government" was doing nothing as the market was waiting for action.

"Market awaiting policy & action, which Imported Govt has failed to provide. Both myself & Shaukat Tareen had warned the Neutrals' that if conspiracy succeeded our fragile economic recovery would go into a tailspin. That is what has now happened," he said in a tweet.

Interestingly, Khan could do little as the prime minister to improve the economy and failed to control inflation but is now using the bleak economic conditions to target his opponents.

"Rupee at all time low Rs193/$ (from Rs178/ on 8 March); Interest rates at 15% highest since 1998; stock market down 3,000 points or 6.4%; stock market lost Rs604 billion capitalisation; Inflation 13.4% highest since Jan 2020. Reflects lowest ever confidence in Imported government," he said in another tweet.

Khan has been using the word neutral' to target the Pakistan Army after its military spokesman announced in March at a press conference that the armed forces would stay neutral in the political tussle between Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party and the joint Opposition.

Criticism is growing against the coalition government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as he has so far failed to do anything to address the key economic problems.

He is currently in London with a key party leader to consult with his brother and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif about the daunting political and economic issues.

Khan is having a field day as he is addressing rallies to build pressure on the government to call early elections, and slams the government for failing to do anything on the economic front.

Sharif has accused his predecessor Khan of planning to trigger a civil war in the country and warned of legal action for concocting a narrative against the country's national institutions.

His remarks came on Monday on the heels of Pakistan's powerful army warning its critics to avoid throwing dirt on the premier institution as it took "strong exception" to "intensified and deliberate attempts" to drag it into politics after the removal of the Khan-led government last month.

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