Embattled Pakistan PM Imran Khan jumps on month-old report, offers India 'help' amid COVID

Hailing Pakistan's 'successful' cash transfer program, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, on Thursday, offered to help India in mimicking his direct cash transfer, based on a report claiming that '84% Indian households suffered monthly income decrease'. Citing the same report he claimed that '34% of all households won't survive a week without cash assistance'. The study based on data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) was published on May 12 - a day before PM Modi announced the Rs 20 lakh crore 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' package to kickstart the Indian economy.

Bajwa overpowering waning PM Imran as Pak Army unofficially tightens grip on Naya Pakistan

Imran Khan offers to 'help' India with cash-transfer

Pakistan reports more than 100 coronavirus deaths in single day, cases cross 108,000

IMF's loan to Pakistan

While India has not requested funds to tide over the COVID-19 crisis from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the direct cash transfer 'hailed' by Khan is a bailout handed by IMF via a three-year loan requested by Khan. In April 2020, he  IMF approved the disbursement of $1.386 billion to Pakistan under the Rapid Financing Instrument to address the economic impact of the Covid-19 shock. This aid was in addition to the $6 billion loan provided by IMF to Khan in July 2019, with a $ 1 billion tranche immediately available.

Pakistan reports over 100 COVID-19 deaths; WHO cautions against lifting restrictions

Pakistan Army tightens its hold on Pakistan government

While Imran Khan is 'advising' India of handling its affairs, he himself is facing troubles back home as the Pakistan Army generals have taken control of his government, unofficially. Reports state that more than a dozen former and current military officials are heading the state-owned air carrier, the power regulator and the National Institute of Health, which leads Pakistan's pandemic response. Most of these appointments have happened in the last two months, as Khan is reportedly witnessing a hit in popularity.

Recently, retired lieutenant general Asim Saleem Bajwa was appointed as Khan's communication advisor to ook after the implementation of about $60 billion in Pakistan investments as part of China's Belt-and-Road Initiative. Moreover, greater military involvement even has the support of civilian government advisers such as Zaigham Rizvi, a member of Naya Pakistan Housing Program taskforce, as per reports. A recent poll survey in Pakistan has shown that Khan will require Army support to keep his government afloat as his party holds 46% of seats in parliament while relying on several smaller coalition partners too.

Imran Khan's railway minister, former Pakistan PM Abbasi test postive for Covid -19

Pakistan's COVID-19 crisis

On Tuesday, Pakistan, for the first time recorded more than 100 deaths in a single day due to COVID-19 which has infected over 108,000 people in the country. It also showed that at least 35,018 patients have fully recovered from the virus and 2,172 fatalities. Citing the COVID-19 crisis, the World Bank estimates on Wednesday revealed that Pakistan's economy is likely to go into the red zone this fiscal year, with a recovery not likely by next year too.