Controversy Erupts as Pakistan's Finance Minister Engages in Heated Exchange with Journalist

Ishaq Dar, Pakistan's Finance Minister, has found himself at the centre of a controversy after engaging in a heated exchange with a journalist, Shahid Qureshi, when the reporter asked a question about the stalled IMF deal. On June 22, as Mr. Dar was leaving the parliament premises after addressing a National Assembly session, the journalist approached him and inquired about the progress of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme. The exchange was recorded on video and has gone viral on social media.

After the journalist persisted with his questions and referred to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's recent meeting with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, the finance minister became visibly angry and retorted that the deal could not be cracked "because people like you are in the system". Mr. Dar then attempted to snatch the journalist's mobile phone and even instructed security personnel to seize and throw away the mobile phone. The Parliamentary Reporters Association (PRA) have issued a condemnation statement, expressing strong disapproval of the violence and disrespectful behaviour exhibited by the finance minister's security guards.

The PRA demanded an apology from Mr. Dar to the journalist and emphasized that such aggressive behaviour should not be repeated in the future. The incident appears to stem from the government's exhaustive efforts to secure the bailout package, as the IMF has yet to revive the expiring programme, scheduled to expire on June 30.Pakistan has only enough currency reserves to cover one month's imports and had hoped to have USD 1.1 billion of the funds released in November, but the IMF has insisted on a number of conditions before it makes any more disbursements. The prime minister recently met with the IMF Managing Director hoping to secure the much-needed funds, as the country faces a steep fall in foreign loan disbursements. It remains to be seen if the meeting yielded any desirable result for the country.