Wanted to bring 'revolutionary changes' but...: Imran Khan admits govt failure

"The biggest problem is that there has been no connection between the government and the interest of the country,” Imran Khan said.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday admitted that his government has not been able to bring promised "changes" due to bureaucratic "faults" of the system, according to a report by local daily Dawn. Speaking at a government event, Khan said that he wanted to bring "revolutionary changes" in the beginning, but he could not do so as the "system was incapable of absorbing shock,” Dawn reported.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.

He further acknowledged that his government and the ministries have not been able to give the desired results. "The biggest problem is that there has been no connection between the government and the interest of the country,” Khan was quoted as saying by Dawn.

The cricketer-turned-politician was speaking in a ceremony held to award certificates to the top 10 best performing ministries and divisions.

Rising fuel and electricity costs have put increasing pressure on Imran Khan's government, which was formed after the 2018 General Elections.

At the time of the polls, his government was seen as an alternative to the system marred by major corruption and bureaucracy issues.

However, with almost four years in the office, Khan is being scrutinised for not doing enough to revive the already crumbling economy.

Pakistan's consumer price index (CPI) rose 13% in January from a year earlier, the highest in two years. In December, the inflation figure was 12.3 per cent.

Pakistan's debt-bound economy has long been hobbled by problems ranging from a wasteful and inefficient power sector to weak tax collection, poor productivity and minimal value-added exports.

The government last month passed a mid-year budget increasing taxes in a bid to control the fiscal deficit - a move meant to improve chances of a successful review of its International Monetary Fund programme.