In his recent address to the PML-N's general council, the Prime Minister referred to party members who criticize Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, suggesting they should not be a part of the PML-N.
ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-june 17th, 2023) Miftah Ismail, former finance minister, emphasized that he is committed to speaking the truth and not undermining his fellow party members.
During a conversation with a news outlet, Miftah expressed difficulty in hearing Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif's comments about those who aim to undermine Ishaq Dar.
In his recent address to the PML-N's general council, the Prime Minister referred to party members who criticize Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, suggesting they should not be a part of the PML-N.
Miftah, who previously served as the finance minister under the PML-N government in 2017 and during the current government's tenure in April last year, clarified that he was unaware of the Prime Minister's remarks and who they were directed towards.
However, Miftah has been openly critical of his successor, Ishaq Dar. On June 9, he stated that the newly unveiled budget for 2023-24 complies with the International Monetary Fund's demands but described it as "unsustainable."
Furthermore, Miftah highlighted that dealing with geopolitics in relation to the IMF is an ongoing process and not a recent development since last September.
Regarding the PML-N's general council meeting, it was reported that former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi did not attend.
Sources suggest that Abbasi and Miftah, who were instrumental in establishing the intellectual movement forum "Reimagining Pakistan," have no intentions of parting ways with the Nawaz Sharif-led PML-N.
However, sources close to Abbasi revealed that he has been openly expressing his views on the government's political approach, criticizing economic policies and specific political actions.
Abbasi, who was previously the senior vice president of the PML-N, resigned from the party office after Maryam Nawaz was appointed chief organizer and senior vice president.
Interestingly, Abbasi was not given prominence during the PML-N's general council meeting. As a member of the National Assembly from Lahore, he currently sits on the government benches and was appointed as Prime Minister by Nawaz Sharif in 2017. Nawaz had initially designated Shehbaz Sharif as his successor, but later changed his decision after being implicated in the Panama papers case.
