ISLAMABAD:Vice President of the PML-N Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Thursday said the government is taking tough decisions for betterment of economy of the country.

Talking to media here in Islamabad, she said petroleum price hike is result of previous government’s agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). She said previous government intentionally reduced the prices of petroleum products when it lost majority in the parliament. Responding to a question, Maryam Nawaz Sharif said next general elections will be held at its stipulated time.

To another question, she expressed full support to the Baloch students and reiterated her resolve to raise voice for them. She said the Shehbaz-led government has not increased a single penny in the petrol price or tax at its own will, adding that it was because of the contract that the former government signed with the IMF.

She said traditionally, former governments tell people about their achievements when they leave power, but referred to Sheikh Rasheed and said that “ex-ministers tell people that Imran Khan laid landmines for the incumbent government.”

She said that the former government didn’t know how to run the economy but when they ruined it and ran out of money, they risked the entire country and its economy to take loans from IMF.

“This forced the incumbent government to take such decisions because it is bound by the contracts Imran Khan made,” Maryam said, adding that it was written in the contract Imran Khan signed with IMF in 2019 that the subsidy on petrol will be abolished or the petroleum development levy on petrol will be increased.

She said Pakistan will default if the incumbent government does not follow the contract. “When Imran Khan realized that his government will not survive any longer, he damaged Pakistan so much that it will take months to recover if not a year,” she maintained.