Imran Khan's economic understanding shows his net practice hasn't been good: Reham Khan to WION
Reham Khan
Taking a dig at Imran Khan on trade with India, Reham said the top trend in Pakistan on social media today is 'Balla ghumao, Bharat bhagao', courtesy PTI.
Journalist Reham Khan has said that if Imran Khan wins this year's general elections in Pakistan, his leadership is going to be detrimental for the country.
Reham, Imran Khan's former wife, said that China which is investing billions of dollars in building an economic corridor in the country (CPEC) is concerned about the frequent sit-ins taking place in the country. "Most of these protests have been carried out by Imran Khan's party. And these have caused a lot of heartache to the Chinese and to the economy. Businesses feel insecure about investing in a country where such chaotic situations exist," Reham told WION.
She also said that the Khyber Pakhtunwa province, where Imran Khan's party is in the government for the last five years, has been plunged into debt of over $3 trillion. "It is going to take them 40 years to repay that debt. That's five times more than the previous government of Awami National Party in Khyber Pakhtunwa," Reham said.
"The PTI government undertook three projects which roughly amount to $99 billion. One of the projects, the bus rapid transit, alone costs $46 billion, that too, at a very high interest rate from the Asian Development Bank. And it is still not completed," Reham added.
Looking at all these figures and the way PTI government handles economy, it seems like being a cricketer, Imran Khan's net practice hasn't been brilliant, she said.
Taking a dig at Imran Khan on trade with India, Reham said the top trend in Pakistan on social media today is 'Balla ghumao, Bharat bhagao', courtesy PTI. "Imran is forgetting that he is carrying a lot of baggage."
Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan is hoping to become Pakistan's prime minister after 20 years of being dismissed at the polls, as the country votes in a tense election pitting him against the party of jailed ex-premier Nawaz Sharif.
Recent nationwide polls in Pakistan indicate a tight race, with Khan's party ahead on 30 per cent of seats in one survey, compared to 27 per cent for Nawaz Sharif's PML-N. Sharif's party tops another poll with 26 per cent compared to 25 per cent for Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Just over a decade after the end of Pakistan's most recent era of military rule, Wednesday's vote features competing narratives of democracy amid Sharif's accusations that elements of the powerful army are working to throw the race to Khan, which he denies.
The election comes as Pakistan's economy is in crisis, with the rupee's 20 per cent decline spiking inflation and dwindling foreign currency reserves likely to force the second International Monetary Fund bailout since 2013.