Lahore, Apr 15 (PTI) In a rare outburst against "brotherly" countries, Pakistan's Punjab province Governor Sardar Saleem Haider has severely criticised some Muslim nations for supporting the banned militant groups to destabilise Pakistan.
"Some countries are apparently Muslim, but their role has been shameful for the Muslims and the days of such Muslim countries are numbered, as a lot of Pakistani businessmen and workers, who had left Pakistan to work there, will soon be returning to the homeland,” he said at an event in Gujrat district of the province, some 170km from Lahore, on Tuesday.
Governor Haider, who belongs to the Pakistan People's Party, criticised some Muslim countries for supporting the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) to destabilise Pakistan.
His criticism comes following the UAE's demand for repayment of a USD 3.5 billion loan from Pakistan by late April 2026, refusing to roll over the debt.
The UAE demand has sparked significant criticism and economic pressure within Pakistan. This move reduces Pakistan's foreign reserves by nearly 18 per cent, causing concern over import coverage and impacting crucial IMF programme compliance.
Amidst this, Saudi Arabia has promised new deposits of USD 3 billion to support Pakistan's struggling economy.