Imran Khan terms Saudi bailout package big relief

TIL Desk/World/Islamabad/ Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has described a $6 billion Saudi bailout package as a “big relief” for the country and vowed to mediate between Riyadh and Yemen to end their ongoing conflict. Accusing the previous two governments of plunging the country into its worst financial crisis.

Khan in his address to the nation after returning from Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, said the opposition parties’ recent plan to form an alliance was aimed at pressing the government to get some relief under a deal like the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) that was bestowed upon them by former President Pervez Musharraf. “Keep in mind that unlike Pervez Musharraf, I will not come under any pressure and will not give any NRO to the corrupt,” the Prime Minister warned the opposition parties.

Expressing gratitude to the Saudi leadership for helping Pakistan at a time of need, Khan, who had travelled along with his cabinet members to Riyadh to attend the Future Investment Initiative Conference on a special invitation of King Salman bin Abdel Aziz, said: “We could go into default but the ‘tremendous’ financial package from Saudi Arabia has relieved our burden.”