• Fawad terms Miftah, Dar’s remarks “irresponsible, contradictory”.
• PTI says statements have complicated matters related to IMF package.
• Says Shahbaz Sharif’s economic team is “totally confused”.

Senior PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry has reacted to the row between Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and his predecessor Miftah Ismail over the recent petrol price cut, saying that the federal government comprises of the “most idiotic team” in the country’s history.

Last week, Dar announced to slash the skyrocketing petrol price by Rs12.63 per litre, giving a major relief to the inflation-stricken people.

However, the former finance minister Miftah was not at all happy about the government’s decision to not increase the petroleum development levy (PDL) this month without International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) approval, and termed it “reckless”.

Dar, in response to the tweet, said in Geo News programme “Capital Talk” that Miftah should not worry about the IMF deal as now he has to deal with the lender.

The public quarrel between the two PML-N leaders has been termed “irresponsible and contradictory” by former minster Fawad Chauhdry.

Taking to Twitter, the PTI leader said:

“The irresponsible and contradictory statements have complicated matters further regarding the IMF programme. This government comprises of the most idiotic team in the history as half of the cabinet doesn’t have portfolios, while those who have, don’t know the ABC of their ministry. They even failed to build a dashboard.”

Fawad further stated that the economic team of the country is “totally confused”.

“Their politics has been buried. If [the government] is working, it is working to end their NAB cases……..,” he tweeted.

Miftah-Dar row

The former finance minister Miftah Ismail, who worked hard to revive the stalled IMF programme publicly opposed the government’s decision to slash the prices of petroleum products.

Taking to Twitter, Miftah had said:

“Not increasing PDL this month without IMF approval is reckless, but what PTI did with our economy was unforgivable,” he said in response to PTI leader Shaukat Tarin’s tweet.

Meanwhile, Dar in response advised Miftah “not to worry”.

“I have to handle the International Monetary Fund (IMF) matters, so from now on, neither Miftah nor anybody else has to worry about anything.”

“I believe that the flood-and-inflation-weary people shouldn’t be burdened further,” he said while taking a jibe at his fellow PML-N member for “burdening the masses” with his policies.