How much of the economic burden is the military willing to share in the current crisis is the question, but Nawaz Sharif had raised the same question during his last term in power.
The former premier wanted the army to spend within its budget and refrain from seeking supplementary grants from the government.
This caused his relations with the military to deteriorate and he eventually paid the price for his proposal, says Khurram Husain.
The analyst told Khabar Say Aagay host Raza Rumi that the budget did see a gradual drop from 2013 to 2016, but it saw a spike from 2017 onwards, which continued until 2021 when the PTI chief and military had good ties.
Earlier today, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar introduced the Finance Bill 2023, commonly known as the ‘mini budget’, in the National Assembly.
Shortly after it was tabled in the lower house of the Parliament, the bill was also presented in the Senate. The session was subsequently postponed until Friday (Feb 17).
It was reported today that the global ratings agency Fitch has downgraded Pakistan’s sovereign credit rating from CCC+ to CCC-, citing concerns about policy, high refinancing risks, critically low reserves, and the IMF’s stringent conditions.
This was the second such downgrade since October 2022, when Fitch first reduced Pakistan’s rating from B- to CCC+.
Imran Khan’s arrest
Awais Babar observed that Imran Khan skipped 11 hearings, and no ordinary individual is given such a leniency.
The barrister said that the PTI chief’s failure to appear in the court will make his arrest quite certain.
According to him, Imran’s ‘jail bharo’ tehreek is aimed at evading his arrest; he cannot be behind bars.
Analyst Murtaza Solangi highlighted that the ex-PM has been able to get protective bails in almost all cases. “Concessions should be for the weak in the society, not for the powerful,” he said.
Flagship Naya Daur TV show Khabar Say Aagay streams Monday to Saturday at 9pm.
