Imran reiterates call for early elections citing poor economic, governance indicators

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday reiterated his demand for early elections. In a tweet, the PTI chairman said: “With economic disaster looming and a complete paralysis of governance, Pak needs early elections to save and strengthen democracy.”

Imran in earlier tweets made references to a World Bank report on the state of Pakistan’s economy.

The World Bank on Thursday raised alarms for Pakistan’s economy and predicted that inflation would increase to six per cent next year as it linked Pakistan’s bullish economic prospects with the continuation of reforms to address the current and fiscal account deficits.

In its twice-a-year Pakistan Development Update, The World Bank said macroeconomic imbalances have significantly worsened over the last nine to 12 months. It said long-terms fiscal reforms, especially those aiming to broaden the tax net and ensure tax compliance, would improve fiscal outcomes, while reforms to improve the competitiveness of the export sector and the economy will contribute to improved external balances and attract more foreign direct investment to meet the country’s external financing needs.