Khursheed Shah asks govt to share IMF, ADB loans terms and conditions

ISLAMABAD: Senior leader of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah Tuesday asked the government to share the terms and conditions of the loans being taken from  the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China and Asian Development  Bank (ADB) on the floor of the House.

Addressing Meet the Press here at National Press Club, he said despite political differences with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the PPP would cooperate with the government for the betterment of the masses and strengthening economic condition of the country.

Khursheed Shah said taking loan from IMF was not in favour of the country but it was imperative for stabilizing the economy.

He said as a political worker it was the constitutional responsibility of the every parliamentarians to discuss and resolve all the problems being faced by the downtrodden segment of the society and democratic system was the best option for improving pathetic conditions of the poor.

He said the PTI government should fulfill its promises including providing job opportunities to the youth and maximum relief to general public.

Khursheed Shah claimed that the gross domestic product growth rate in 2013 was 5.3 percent but now it was only 2.4 percent, inflation was 5.3 percent and now it was crossing 9 percent.

He was of the view that the PPP had inherited bad economic situation and the country was facing so many challenges including shortage of wheat, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Swat, floods and others but the government faced all the challenges and addressed most of them amicably.

He said the PPP government increased 125 percent salaries of eight million government employees and enhanced 100 percent pension during their tenure, adding that four million widows provided financial assistance through Benazir Income Support Programme.

He said the share of provinces had been increased by announcing National Finance Commission Award and curtailing the share of federation by 43 percent.

Responding to a question Khursheed Shah said the PPP had never supported terrorists nor issued statements in their support but failed to understand that why it was being negatively portrayed.