ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has hit out at the opposition parties which gathered in Islamabad for an Iftar-dinner, holding them responsible for the country's record foreign debt and economic woes.
In a show of unity, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz met the chairman of Pakistan People Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto at an Iftar-dinner hosted by him here on Sunday.
It was for the first time that Maryam came face-to-face with Bilawal whose slain mother Benazir Bhutto was a strong rival of now-jailed ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif but later the two joined hands against military ruler Pervez Musharraf.
The Iftar-dinner was also attended by other opposition leaders, including Awami National Party leader Asfandyar Wali, Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai among others.
"These people [opposition leaders] have gathered under the guise of safeguarding democracy. In fact, they are the reason for the country's present crises," Khan said.
Khan said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government assumed charge in the toughest of times when the country's debt was at a historic high.
He said that the nation is hopeful for the country's progress and he will prove that Pakistan will be at the top in the region.
"We inherited Pakistan in the most difficult circumstances with a record foreign debt and a huge economic deficit.
But I will prove that Pakistan will emerge as the fastest growing country in the whole region.
"However, we will bring the country back on the path to progress by working tirelessly," he told the audience at a fundraiser.
Cash-strapped Pakistan last week reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund on a bailout package under which the cash-strapped country will receive USD 6 billion over three years.
The country is seeking this money to bail itself out from a severe balance-of-payments crisis that threatens to cripple the country's economy.
The latest deal would be the 22nd bailout package since Pakistan became a member of the IMF in 1950.