‘Political chaos’ behind country’s economic problems

ISLAMABAD    -    Prime Minister Sheh­baz Sharif Thursday blamed the “environ­ment of political cha­os” for the prevailing economic crisis in the country while issuing a brief statement to mark Pakistan Day.

The prime minister said in his message that Pakistan had come into being as a result of po­litical and constitution­al struggle while also mentioning its prevail­ing problems.

“The challenges are topped by a combina­tion of economic instabili­ty and the inability to set­tle the rules of the game,” he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press of Pakistan news agency. “An environment of polit­ical chaos explains why we have failed to develop our economy on a sustain­able basis.” The prime min­ister’s statement comes amid rising political ten­sions in the country since the ouster of ex-premier Imran Khan in a parlia­mentary no-confidence vote in April last year. The government has frequently blamed Khan and his sup­porters for rising political volatility in the country, especially in recent days after they clashed with po­lice in Lahore and Islam­abad. The prime minister expressed optimism in his message that Pakistan was destined to achieve great heights, though he point­ed out it needed to forge unity within and equip it­self with a national pur­pose before fighting for its rightful place in the world. He asked the people to re­call the sacrifices made by the founding fathers while celebrating the special day.

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