Daily Times

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Thursday demanded that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government should be held accountable for rising inflation in the country and the diminishing purchasing power of the people.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan has spent his entire tenure in borrowing money but where and how this money was utilized is still a mystery,” he said in a statement. He said that the ruling government borrows money to pay salaries, but has failed miserably on the economic front. Highlighting the suffering of the masses, he observed that the common man’s income has been steadily declining. On the other hand, the rate of inflation skyrocketed after the end of PPP’s federal government, and it continues to drastically increase to date, he claimed.

Bilawal also blamed the prime minister for distorting the truth by claiming that he has played a role in Pakistan’s industrial growth. Declarations such as these are ridiculous since the ‘selected PM’ has admitted a decline of more than 22% in the energy sector growth rate, he added.

Bringing to light the accomplishments of the PPP during its five-year tenure, he said, “The income of the common citizen increased by 59%. We also can’t ignore the fact that per capita income has increased the most in Sindh due to PPP’s provincial government’s initiative. Whereas, the PTI government has used the old census data to show higher per capita income.”

The PPP chairman said statistics on economy presented by the PTI government are doubtful and the citizens must ponder on those. “PTI also claimed to contribute to record wheat production. While the truth is that flour became 28% more expensive in just one year. Why would people be satisfied with the federal government’s claims of record sugarcane production when sugar has become 21% more expensive? Does a 60 % increase in chicken prices in just one year count as an accomplishment?” he questioned.

A day earlier, Bilawal had said that the low-income salaried class was the target in the upcoming 2021 budget. “The PTI government intends to put an economic burden on the low-income class,” he had said, adding that the PPP would defend the people against PTI’s propaganda to crush them economically in the budget.