ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has strongly rejected the federal government’s Economic Survey 2024–25, calling the reported GDP growth “fabricated” and accusing the coalition of pushing millions into poverty. PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram said the government’s economic performance is no cause for celebration.
Speaking at a press conference after the survey was released, Akram claimed that at least 30 million people had fallen below the poverty line. He called the reported 2.7% GDP growth “fake” and likened it to “Form-47,” referencing the alleged rigging of the February 8 elections. He said the government’s actions had extinguished household stoves instead of improving lives.
PTI compared the current figures to the party’s own tenure, saying that under Imran Khan’s government, GDP growth had reached 6.4%. “Now, despite population growth of 2.5% per year, the average GDP growth in the last three years is just 1.5%,” said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Adviser Muzzammil Aslam, calling the latest numbers “a figure to be ashamed of.”
Aslam also criticized the economic impact on consumers, saying that purchasing power had dropped due to inflation and heavy taxation. “For the first time this Eid, 30% of sacrificial animals in Karachi went unsold. This is proof that the public can’t afford basics anymore,” he added.
The PTI leadership also took aim at the agriculture sector, reporting a 13.5% decline in key crops like wheat, sugarcane, and maize. “These are anti-farmer policies, hurting the entire country,” Akram said. He further pointed out that large-scale manufacturing had dropped by 1.5%, while core inflation remained high at 11.6%.
PTI concluded by warning about the rising national debt. “When we left office, total debt was Rs43,500 billion. Under the current regime, it has skyrocketed to Rs75,000 billion,” Aslam claimed. The party has demanded transparency and accountability in economic reporting and called on the public to question the government’s claims.