PTI Supporters Stage Demonstrations Outside IMF’s Washington Headquarters | Watch
The protest came as the newly formed Shehbaz Sharif administration engages with the global lender over the release of the final tranche of the $3 billion Standby Arrangement (SBA). According to the Pakistani news outlet Geo News, the demonstration was attended by PTI founder Imran Khan’s former chief of staff Shehbaz Gill and PTI spokesperson in the United States, Sajjad Burki.
The US chapter of PTI shared the visual of the protest which was organised by “First Pakistan Global”. The protesters alleged that the PTI’s National Assembly seats were “reduced” to 90 from 180 in the general elections. “We are here to remind the IMF of the promise they made to the people of Pakistan.”‘ the demonstrators urging the global lenders to “respect the mandate of the people”. Some of the Pakistani Americans present at the site stated that PTI was not preventing the IMF from helping Pakistan, rather it was urging the body to engage with elected representatives to ensure responsible use of funds by the government. “Results show that this is not the representative assembly. This is not the will of people,” Burki told the demonstrators on Friday, Geo News reported.
Pakistan regime slams such protests
Amid the chaos, Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar slammed a “handful of miscreants” who were protesting outside the World Bank and the IMF headquarters in the United States. Tarat accused PTI of “sabotaging” the country’s deal with the IMF. “In a bid to disrupt Pakistan’s ongoing talks with the IMF, some miscreants protested in front of the IMF and the World Bank offices in the United States and indulged in sloganeering against Pakistan Army,” Tarar said at a press conference in Islamabad. “This is a fashionable crowd and these are the enemies of Pakistan who are left with no love for the country,” the minister furthered. He also noted that people who were urging the global financial institution to stop funding were wearing ” branded shoes and carrying designer bags”. He went on to call PTI an “anti-national” party. “The anti-national party embroiled in May 9 incidents is working against Pakistan’s interests,” he alleged. Earlier this month, the IMF confirmed that it had received a letter from a PTI official who sent the letter on Khan’s behalf. However, the IMF eventually gave a cold response to the former Pakistan PM who asked for an “election audit” before any sort of aid was approved.
