Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said on Friday that a “handful of miscreants” associated with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was bent upon sabotaging Pakistan’s deal with the International Monetary Fund that was crucial for economic stability.

“In a bid to disrupt Pakistan’s ongoing talks with IMF, some miscreants protested in front of IMF and World Bank offices in the United States and indulged in sloganeering against Pakistan Army,” he told a conference in Islamabad.

Protesters belonging to the PTI were urging the IMF to give funds to Pakistan only if their jailed leader was released, he said, regretting that “activists of an anti-national party” continued to hold sit-ins and protests outside the IMF office.

“This is a fashionable crowd and these are the enemies of Pakistan who are left with no love for the country,” the minister said while paying tributes to the overseas Pakistanis who were sending their hard-earned money to the country by doing white and blue-collar jobs abroad.

He claimed that such people were protesting to stop funding to the people of Pakistan who were wearing costly branded shoes and carrying branded bags.

“They only want to sabotage the IMF deal because their dream was to make Pakistan default but InshAllah, Pakistan would make progress and the growth rate would increase soon.”

That the heinous conspiracies of anti-national elements would not have any effect on the IMF deal, the minister claimed, adding the imprisoned PTI founder chairman was involved in Toshakhana, the 190 million pound scam, and cypher case.

He advised the PTI to approach courts for the release of Imran as the IMF and World Bank had nothing to do with his cases. Tarar claimed that the country was stable with the sacrifices of martyrs and the efforts of patriotic political leaders.

“We have been voted by the people to solve the problems in the country, not to increase them”, he said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, he added, had given a comprehensive agenda on economic reforms including restructuring FBR, increasing the tax network, and reducing government expenditure.

Tarar added that international organizations like Bloomberg were hailing the appointment of Muhammad Aurangzeb as the finance minister of the country as he had command over economic affairs.

In response to a query, he said the PTI would be requested in the dialogues to refrain from taking any such initiatives that undermined the economy or country.