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Alleged phone conversations between former finance minister Shaukat Tarin and Punajb and KP finance minsters have been leaked that seemed to suggest Mr. Tarin asking provincial finance ministries to renege on the commitment giving to the federal government regarding the IMF deal.
The leaked audio surfaced on the day the international lender’s executive board is scheduled to meet for considering Pakistan’s request of releasing the $1.2 billion tranche.
“Tell them, the commitment of 750 billion[surplus] to the IMF that you signed was before the flood,” former federal minister Shaukat Terin said to Mohsen Leghari in the alleged leaked call, “Now we will have to spend a lot of money because of the floods, so the province won’t be able to honor the commitment.”
To that Mohsen Leghari replied saying yes.
Shaukat Tarin added in the conversation that we want to put them under pressure as they are targeting us with terrorism cases.
The PTI leader told the finance minister to draft a letter and send it to him for vetting so it could be sent to the federal government and later on to the IMF representative in Pakistan.
The former finance minister told Mohsen Leghari that KP finance minister Timor Jhagra would also be sending the letter to the federal government.
“Should we just send it to the federal government or to the IMF as well,” he can be heard saying in the alleged audio leak. To which Leghari responded, saying that “No tool is more powerful than social media.”
Tarin can be heard instructing Jhagra to highlight in the letter how floods have wreaked havoc in the province and millions of rupees are needed for the rehabilitation process.
