Waqas Khan
ISLAMABAD: Former finance minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Miftah Ismail has said that the US did not have a hand in removing Imran Khan from the prime minister’s slot but the opposition removed him and the army was not against the opposition on the issue.
In an exclusive interview with Wenews, Miftah Ismail said, “I think the army must have supported Imran Khan’s removal. As far as my removal is concerned. I was just a minister and removed with just a notification. He (prime minister) made me sit one day and said resign and I resigned as I used to work at the discretion of the prime minister.”
“Imran Khan was removed with a no-confidence motion, which is the right of the opposition. In 2022, in the UK, two prime ministers were removed through the no-confidence move, but they did not start jihad on the streets. It is well known that the establishment in Pakistan has a hand in politics and how Khan was brought in,” he said.
He said that how the court disqualified Nawaz Sharif based on Iqama was the height of judicial interference.
‘Imran Khan is a good politician’
Miftah Ismail accredited Imran Khan as a good politician and said that hardly anyone else in Pakistan knows how to make a good narrative as he knows. “When he was removed, first he (Khan) talked about external conspiracy, then real freedom (Haqeeqi Azadi) and then internal politics, then Bajwa Sahib’s conspiracy, then he said that it is a conspiracy of Mohsin Naqvi, and finally he accused businessmen of being behind his removal.” He said.
“He keeps changing his narrative every day. There is a lot of contradiction in his words and actions. When the law applies to them, they don’t believe in it. I have never said that Imran Khan is a good leader, yes, I definitely say, he is a good politician,” he said
Why Pakistan’s finance minister’s resignation taken in London?
Regarding his resignation as finance minister, Miftah Ismail said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was also present at a meeting with Nawaz Sharif in London. “Of course, this did not happen without the prime minister’s consent. Nawaz Sharif decided to remove me as he is the party’s leader. The vote belongs to the party’s leader unless political parties have a structure in Pakistan. Currently, PML-N’s vote belongs to Nawaz Sharif and PTI’s vote belongs to Imran Khan.
‘Ishaq Dar did what he shouldn’t have done’
Talking about Pakistan’s economy, Miftah Ismail mentioned several policy mistakes. He said that considering the value of the rupee as an economic power, “sometimes we increased the value of the rupee artificially and sometimes reduced the value of the dollar.”
He said that in an era when we could take loans from the world, we took loans and put money in the market. In the last year of Imran Khan’s tenure, imports were worth $80 billion and exports worth $31 billion.
Miftah Ismail said that remittances from overseas Pakistanis were $30 billion while the curent deficit was $17.5 billion.
“When your imports are high and exports are low, obviously the value of the dollar will go up. We should reduce imports, when the value of the dollar increases, and then exports will automatically increase.”
According to Miftah Ismail, after the arrival of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, the policy was employed as it was adopted from 2013 to 2018, and the result is in front of everyone.
He said that “if we had taken wise decisions consistently at that time, even if they were not difficult, then today when petrol has become cheaper in the world, there would be no need to increase the price here. “I think, if difficult decisions had been made, there would have been a strong possibility of improvement from October and November.”
‘It’s a matter of shame and regret to approach IMF’
Regarding the talks with the IMF, Miftah Ismail said that the people are being abused, but he did wholly blame the IMF for all this. “But in light of the policies pursued by our rulers in 75 years, they are the real culprits,” he said.
According to Miftah Ismail, it is the job of Pakistanis to protect the public interest and not the job of the IMF to serve Pakistanis. “Why do you go to the IMF again and again? Why do you have to go to the ICU. If you have to run the economy in a better way, there will be no need to go to the IMF.”
Miftah Ismail said that Bangladesh had gone to the IMF only once to get $4 billion. Similarly, many other countries, including India, do not go to the IMF.
“The number of times Pakistan has gone to the IMF in 75 years is a matter of shame and regret. Our policymakers are responsible for this whole situation, including me. Why do we hold the IMF responsible?
‘Pakistan solely responsible for development’
According to Miftah Ismail, Pakistan has been reneging on its commitments after taking aid from the IMF three times in a year and a half, which is also being watched by Pakistan’s friendly countries. He described the current debt assistance to Pakistan as akin to filling water in a matka (pot) that has holes in it.
“Do we want to help ourselves? If there are policies like this that your policymakers turn away every time they take money from the IMF, your friendly countries will say that “first med your attitude.”
According to Miftah Ismail, the Pakistani government must consider its policy structure and expenditure. Only then can global cooperation be expected.
“We are seeking cooperation from the world but at some point, it has to be understood that Pakistan alone is responsible for Pakistan’s development. No friendly countries or foreign financial institutions are responsible for this (Pakistan’s development).
‘Everyone is fighting for egos’
Regarding Imran Khan’s anti-corruption rhetoric, Miftah Ismail said that he did not think there is any difference in the agenda of Khan or any other party leader. Allegations of corruption have been levelled against everyone.
“If Khan had not been accused of taking gifts from Toshakhana without registering them and if no serious allegations of corruption were not levelled against Usman Buzdar, Farah Gogi, Mirza Shahzad Akbar and his other associates, then his anti-corruption narrative would have taken precedence.
According to Miftah Ismail, the truth was that the current fight was for power. “I think everyone has the same narrative or agenda. If Khan becomes the prime minister, he will have to go to the IMF. If someone else becomes, then he will also have to go to the IMF.”
‘If you give statements against Nawaz, we will let you go’
Agreeing to Imran Khan’s demand for elections in 90 days, Miftah Ismail said that not only should the elections be held in 90 days, but if Imran Khan wins, he should be given the government but at the same time, he should also face the Toshakhana case.
“When you put us in jail for five-five months without charge. When you tell us to give statements against Nawaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to be released from custody. If Fawad Hassan Fawad is kept in jail for 19 months and Ahad Cheema is kept in jail for two years, then you must also answer the Toshakhana (allegation).”
“Was it okay to put me, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Maryam Nawaz, Ahsan Iqbal and Khawaja Asif in jail for no sin?”
