ISLAMABAD, Nov 15: The Pakistan Muslim League-N has criticised the government’s decision to obtain loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and said it proved that the economic plans of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had failed.

In a statement here on Saturday, PML-N’s information secretary MNA Ahsan Iqbal said the PPP had insisted that it had ‘other plans’ to jump-start the national economy and the IMF would only be approached if those failed, adding that the government should admit that its so-called ‘Plan A’ and ‘Plan B’ had failed.

Expressing frustration at the lack of trust shown by friendly countries, he said even Pakistan’s friends were unwilling to provide direct assistance, adding that all of them had decided to provide financial help to Pakistan through the IMF so that they could monitor the use of funds.

Warning against accepting tough IMF conditions vis-à-vis the farmers, he said if the government had agreed to such terms, the country’s agriculture-based economy would be ruined.

“The government should immediately tell parliament what strings are attached to the IMF package,” he said.

He claimed had if the PPP had implemented the Murree Declaration in letter and spirit and if the PML-N had been a coalition partner, Pakistan would not have had to beg for an IMF loan.

Stressing the need for the formation of a special committee of the National Assembly to keep an eye on how the IMF loan was spent, Mr Iqbal said the loan was a heavy burden on next generations and it should not be spent for providing luxuries to rulers.

According to him, the only way the country economy can improve is through institution of good governance and implementation of transparent policies. But he regretted that the government had not done anything in this direction.

Criticising the government for expanding cabinet at a time when the country was facing a severe economic crisis, he said it would burden the national exchequer.

Similarly, he said, the government’s decision to send more than 200 people to Saudi Arabia with President Asif Zardari for a ‘free Umrah’ had also damaged the country’s image abroad.