Rasheed claims China has strong reservations about US conditions for aid

Former Interior Minister and Awami Muslim League Chief Sheikh Rasheed has claimed that China has serious reservations about the conditions put forth to Pakistan by the United States for financial assistance.

In his tweet, the former Interior Minister said that China, Dubai,, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have also not moved forward to help Pakistan bail out the economy and neither has IMF released funds under a bailout package.

“Instead of the 90-day reserve, Pakistan only has 45 days of reserve now,” he lamented.

He stressed that the northern neighbor has strong reservations pertaining to the US offering aid under stringent conditions.

Rasheed did not make clear whether he was referring to bilateral aid from the United States or the IMF loan, for which the Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has reportedly spoken to US Deputy Secretary of States Wendy Sherman.

The COAS urged Washington to help Pakistan in securing early disbursement from the IMF.

Fata merger

Speaking about the FATA merger, Sheikh Rasheed said Maulana Fazlur Rehman has congruent policies with that of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

In talks with representatives of the Pakistani government, the TTP has reportedly demanded a reversal of the FATA merger.

Rasheed mocked the coalition government for holding a ‘Jumma Bazar’ (flea market) of press conferences to deceive the masses.

The former interior minister noted that people cannot be coerced to pay fixed taxes through electricity and gas bills.

Instead of finding ways to offer relief to flood-stricken masses, they are undertaking PR campaigns for their wellbeing, he added.

Sheikh Rasheed said that the decision of no confidence was taken in London and now Nawaz Sharif is talking about leaving the government while the former PM Imran Khan has become a hero for standing up to them.