Pakistan must rethink and restructure its system of governance to deal with the issues facing the country, Miftah Ismail said during an exclusive interview with Naya Daur, on Saturday.
“If you look at it, it doesn’t matter who is governing Pakistan because no one is actually different from the other,” the former finance minister told Khabar Say Aagay hosts Raza Rumi and Murtaza Solangi.
He stressed that the people of this country don’t have a bad intent. “That is why it is imperative for them to sit down and decide if this is really how they want to run the country.”
To a question on whether the country can afford the elections during such an economic crisis, he said, “It is necessary to bring the political temperature down; it is all a tussle of ego and power.”
The fact is that even if Imran Khan is made the premier, the graph of his popularity will slide quickly as it was the case earlier,” Ismail maintained.
On the current inflation, he said, “I had asked for the prices to be increased sooner. When you delay the increase in prices, there is a greater impact later on, as is the case now.”
The expert termed the possible IMF agreement only the first step, long-term structural changes are the answer.
“I had been saying this all along but I [cannot dictate it] since I am not the one-man show [in the PML-N], he said in a veiled jibe at the party’s leadership.
Read this too: ‘Pakistan Won’t Default’, Says Dar As He Blames Imran For Economy’s Plunge
While answering a question about the rupee depreciation, Ismail blamed hoarding as the cause for the spike. “As soon as the capital flight weakens and the perception of bankruptcy is reduced, it will ease, eventually.”
The former finance minister stressed bringing the ‘default risk’ under control, saying that doing so would automatically bring the dollar down.
When asked what he would have done if he was still the in-charge of the financial affairs, he said stressed bringing the provinces, industrialists, and others onboard to think towards increasing minimum wages.
“The increase in the global prices obviously has an effect on Pakistan, too, but what can help tackle it is a good system of governance,” he reiterated.
Ismail maintained that poverty in Pakistan is very much related to the class-difference. A vast number of children and people in general have been living a miserable life; we see a hue and cry when the elite are hit.”
He further said that the military ingress in politics is too high and it needs to be reduced if Pakistan is to progress.
To a question about this removal from the ministry, Dar said people begun to think from Ishaq Dar’s talk about the dollar rate and himself that he might be able to set things right.
“May be, the party thought at the time that it would be able to control the economy with Dar leading the affairs.”
Flagship Naya Daur TV show Khabar Say Aagay streams Monday to Saturday at 9pm.
A very candid interviewee and well researched duo of journalists made it a treat to watch. Insightful and informative and entertaining.
A selective session of interviews every month would make it a great feature.