Residents of Pakistani are likely to revolt against the government before August 30, according to the country’s former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Rasheed who is also head of the Awami Muslim League accused the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of meddling in the nation’s affairs.
He recalled that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had openly admitted that the country was operating on an IMF budget created by the international financial institution.
The Prime Minister had on Tuesday told the nation that next year’s budget was prepared in collaboration with the IMF.
Shehbaz made the remarks after complaints from Pakistani citizens due to significant tax increase amendments in the proposed Finance Bill for the 2024/25 financial year.
“The nation will not wait for any leader; there is hunger everywhere, and this fight is the poor’s fight, with poverty from the ground to the sky,” he stated.
The former interior minister was referencing Kenyan protests which were organised by the Gen Z generation.
Unlike with past protests, there was no visible leadership structure in the nationwide mass protests.
According to Rasheed, this is likely to happen in Pakistan where residents disgruntled by the increased taxes will take to the streets without coercion from any politician.
He further accused the Pakistani administration of orchestrating the murder of over 600 dissidents.
This is similar to Kenya where the State has been accused of using excessive force when dealing with peaceful demonstrators.
IMF has been accused of proposing punitive tax measures in Kenya as a measure for the country to settle a ballooning public debt of over Ksh11 trillion.
