Shaukat Tarin arrested in the audio leak case
Shaukat Tarin, the leader of the PTI and a former finance minister, is suspected of asking former Khyber Pakhtukhwa minister Taimoor Saleem Jhagra to write a letter to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) pressuring the coalition government. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has requested permission from the Ministry of Interior to arrest Tarin.
The agency has concluded its probe into the matter and decided to file a lawsuit against the finance minister for allegedly attempting to sabotage the IMF loan programme. Tarin was found to have sought to undermine national security and interests, according to the FIA.
The PDM-led administration, which is attempting to resuscitate the loan programme in the face of declining foreign exchange reserves, has forwarded the audio tape to the FIA for inquiry.
In the IMF audio leak case, the FIA decides to detain Shaukat Tarin. Before the final meeting of the global lender to approve the loan for the South Asian nation facing a severe economic crisis, Tarin requested of the then-ministers of Punjab and KP that they withdraw from their IMF commitments in August of last year. At that time, the country was experiencing a severe economic crisis.
In the phone call, the former head of Pakistan’s finance appears to be pleading with Mohsin Leghari and Taimur Jhagra to change their minds about the provincial surplus.
In response to the Pakistani senator’s inquiry on whether the letter had been completed, KP Finance Minister Taimoor Jhagra stated that he would submit the letter as soon as it was complete.
Tarin then gave the KP finance chief instructions to stress flood damage in the letter. The quick distribution of funds for infrastructure repair and residents of flood-affected areas would be the first goal.
More to follow
