Watch | ‘We’re Begging For Funds While India Becomes A Superpower’: Pak Leader Tells Parliament

Pakistani opposition leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman also said that Imran Khan’s PTI should be running the government instead of PML-N. (Image: AFP)

Pakistani opposition leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman told the Pakistani parliament in his inaugural speech that Pakistan is headed towards bankruptcy while India is aiming to become a global superpower.

He lamented that both nations have taken such different paths despite gaining independence at the same time.

“In August 1947, India and Pakistan got Independence together. Today, India is dreaming of becoming a global superpower, while we are begging to avoid bankruptcy. Who is responsible for this?” the chief of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) (JUI-F) said.

His comments came on the same day the International Monetary Fund approved the immediate release of the final $1.1 billion tranche of a $3 billion bailout to Pakistan.

Pakistan needs the money to overcome one of the worst economic crises in its history that had raised fears it could default on the payment of foreign debts.

As part of the bailout conditions, the government was required to reduce subsidies intended to cushion the impact of rising living costs. This contributed to an increase in prices, especially energy bills, and angered the public. Islamabad also imposed new taxes, another unpopular move.

The JUI-F emir also lashed out at the government and highlighted issues with the recently concluded elections. “What kind of election is this where the losers are not satisfied, and the winners are upset?” he said.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman and his outfit were part of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition that ousted Imran Khan in 2022 and was in power until before the February elections.

Rehman’s JUI-F is now part of the opposition and has been seen as sympathetic towards jailed former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan.

“There are people who talk about democracy, but where is it? We can’t make the laws we want. Who will call these houses the people’s Parliament?” he said while addressing the parliament.

He also told Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif to come and sit in the opposition benches and let PTI govern.

“Leave this power. Come and sit here [in the opposition benches] and if the PTI is indeed the larger group [with seats] then give them the government,” Rehman was quoted as saying by the Dawn.