Pakistan has been roaming around with a begging bowl for 75 years - Shehbaz

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has painted a gloomy picture of the country's economy and expressed regret that Islamabad's friends are always looking to Islamabad in search of money. In his speech at a conference of lawyers, Dawn News quoted the premier as saying that 'today, when we visit or call a friendly country, they think we are begging for money'. 

Sharif said, “We have been wandering with begging bowls for 75 years, while even small economies have overtaken us. He told the lawyers that Pakistan's development was low compared to other countries in the region, but they were far ahead of Pakistan in terms of exports. What is Pakistan standing today after 75 years. 

According to a Dawn news report, he said the country has the potential but "lacks the will to do". Sharif said the country's economy was already facing a "challenging situation" before the floods, which has made it more "complicated". He said Pakistan was on the verge of "economic deprivation" when he took power in April, and that the coalition government with its hard work saved the country from default and "controlled economic instability to some extent"

According to the premier, inflation is "at its peak", and he indirectly blames the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for it. According to Dawn news, he alleged that the previous government violated its agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), forcing the current government to accept tough terms. In the event that the agreed conditions were not met, the IMF threatened to withdraw its program according to the premiership.