Pakistanis are attacking their PM for being busy watching cricket as the country plunges into political chaos and an economic crisis
Even as Pakistan faces a deepening economic crisis with no visible sign of relief, Pakistan’s prime minister is prioritizing watching cricket matches rather than wrecking the country’s economy. On Saturday, March 18, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised Pakistani cricketer Shaheen Shah Afridi for his 44 runs, 15-ball streak against the Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) – the cheaper version of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Praising Lahore Qalandars captain Shaheen Afridi, the PM of Pakistan tweeted: “Another Afridi with such clout…”
A Twitter user named FAIQ tweeted, “No way is this nigga watching the PSL finals while there’s a literal civil war raging in the country.”
Several Pakistani Twitter users advised the Prime Minister of Pakistan to focus on the country instead of watching cricket.
An “Ajeeb” responded to Sharif’s tweet, calling him “Talka Insaan” (bald man) and telling him to focus on Pakistan. “Abey mulk pe dhyan de takla insaan,” Ajeed tweeted.
Another user advised Sharif to focus on the country’s economy.
An Umar Ishtiaq tweeted: “Apny logun per zulam kar k yeh baighairat match dekh rha ha (After causing atrocities to his people, this shameless one watches a match).
Hamid Khan wrote: “begherat tu match dhaik mulk jal raha (the country is on fire and this shameless one is watching the match).”
Pakistani entertainer Sehar Shinwari, known for her anti-India rants and attention-grabbing gimmicks, also slammed Prime Minister Sharif, writing: “The country is on the brink of default, the IMF is demanding an end to our nuclear programme, the worst political and human rights situation on record.” Land and you’re busy watching PSL. Shame on you.”
A Husain Afzal mocked Prime Minister Sharif for his “great service” over the past 11 months. “Mr. Prime is busy watching cricket as Pakistan experienced the highest rate of inflation, no IMF deal yet… Thank you Mr. Shehbaz Sharif for your great service to the home country over the past 11 months,” Afzal replied.
Pakistan-IMF meeting on bailout fails
Pakistan has been hit by its worst-ever economic crisis, with skyrocketing inflation, supply chain disruptions and depleted foreign exchange reserves, as well as a political crisis.
Talks over a much-needed rescue package between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Pakistan collapsed in February this year, threatening the country’s ability to repay international loans. Pakistan is in talks with the IMF for a $1.1 billion round of financing, part of a $6.5 billion bailout signed in 2019. Level agreement within the agreed time. As a result, the ruling coalition led by Shehbaz Sharif decided to significantly increase tax rates to meet IMF conditions.
