PPP says PTI govt did not take Parliament into confidence on IMF deal

• Sherry Rehman lashes out at govt. 
• "Non-transparent agreements will have far-reaching effects on country," she says. 
•  "The countdown of the government has started," she says. 

ISLAMABAD: Senior PPP leader and senator, Sherry Rehman Monday lashed out at the government, accusing it of not taking the Parliament into confidence over its negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 

"Non-transparent agreements will have far-reaching effects on the country as no one knows what kind of bargaining is going on," she said, a day after PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also criticised the government's decision to increase the price of petrol by Rs10.45 per litre. 

She said the decision would have far-reaching consequences for the government, adding that "the countdown of the government has started". 

Fawad slams Opposition over anti-govt protests

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Monday criticised the Opposition and said that the Opposition was holding anti-government protests "just for the sake of it".

The minister, speaking to the press, shed light on civil-military relationships and said that Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa often hold meetings, therefore, a routine meeting was held today too.

"All the matters have been resolved," he had said.

Fawad also talked about the Opposition's criticism of the growing inflation in the country and said that, in Sindh, only the prices of wheat have been hiked but other essential items are being sold at reasonable prices.

"The Sindh government has released wheat into the open market today," the minister had said, adding that the entire world is grappling with inflation and Pakistan is no exception.

"We don't live on another planet. If there is a worldwide increase in the prices of oil, then we will also witness a hike in the prices," he had said.

"There are no proponents of democracy in the Opposition as they are always looking to strike political deals," he had said, as he continued criticising the Opposition.

The information minister asked the Opposition to come up with an alternative solution to curb the rising inflation in the country.

"The Opposition has no organisational or economic policy in place," he said, adding that anti-government parties should, first of all, take a look at their previous tenures and recreate a policy to steer the country out of problems before resorting to criticism.

"Merely lashing out at the premier will not get these parties anywhere," Fawad had said as he berated the chief of Pakistan Democratic Movement, Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Tarin insists talks with IMF have not failed

A day earlier, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance Shaukat insisted that negotiations are still underway with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), adding that the perception that they had failed was wrong. 

Tarin had said the finance secretary is still in Washington. Tarin said the country's economic situation will improve. "Give it a little time," he had said. "No timeframe was set at any stage for the conclusion of the talks".

A press statement by the Ministry of Finance confirmed what the advisor had earlier said.