WEB DESK
Suleman Shahbaz, the son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on Monday suggested that a rift within the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) deepening as he laid the blame for current economic woes at the feet of poor financial management by predecessors of incumbent financial czar Ishaq Dar, including one of PML-N’s own.
In a message posted on the social media site Twitter on Monday, Shahbaz blamed Pakistan’s last three finance ministers preceding Dar as ‘jockers’ who had laid a minefield in the national economy for successors.
Without naming them, he pointed to Miftah Ismael, the duo of Shaukat Tareen and Hammad Azhar and Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.
It is pertinent to note that Hammad Azhar was given a finance portfolio for only a month.
While Shahbaz did not name him, it is believed that his aim also included Ismael, a PML-N leader and federal finance minister in the initial months after PM Shehbaz Sharif took over the federal cabinet.
However, it was also interesting to note that he did not say a word against PTI senior leader and PTI’s first finance minister Asad Umar when Imran Khan took over.
Suleman Shahbaz went on to laud the efforts of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.
“Dar sb averted a default after the atomic detonations in 1998,” he said, as he reposed his trust in Dar to stave of default and protect Pakistan.
Shedding light on the challenges aced by Dar, the PM’s son said that the challenges are humongous but the finance minister has been giving his best, with his commitment and handwork unmatched and unquestionable.
