Kenya’s Protests Could Inspire Pakistan After IMF Accusations
Residents in Pakistan are likely to revolt against the government before August 30, according to former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Rasheed, who is also the head of the Awami Muslim League, accused the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of interfering with the country’s affairs.
He recalled that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had openly admitted that the country was operating under an IMF budget created by the international financial institution.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister informed the nation that the budget for next year had been prepared in collaboration with the IMF.
Shehbaz made the remarks in response to complaints from Pakistani citizens regarding significant tax increase amendments in the proposed Finance Bill for the 2024/25 financial year.
Pakistan's former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed states his fellow countrymen have been inspired by Kenya's anti-finance bill protests and might go down the same road while accusing IMF of meddling in the country's affairs. pic.twitter.com/HDhYleSQvk
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“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 referring to Kenyan protests organised by the Gen Z generation.
Unlike previous protests, there was no visible leadership structure during the nationwide mass protests.
According to Rasheed, this is likely to occur in Pakistan, where residents dissatisfied with the increased taxes will take to the streets without the coercion of any politician.
He also accused the Pakistani government of orchestrating the murders of more than 600 dissidents.
This is similar to Kenya, where the government has been accused of using excessive force in dealing with peaceful protesters.
The IMF has been accused of proposing punitive tax measures in Kenya to help the country pay off its ballooning public debt of more than Ksh11 trillion.
Kenya’s Protests Could Inspire Pakistan After IMF Accusations
