Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary Information Sheikh Waqas Akram has criticized the Punjab government, accusing it of pursuing policies that are detrimental to farmers.
Speaking at a press conference in Peshawar alongside Provincial Finance Advisor Muzammil Aslam on Friday, Akram targeted the ruling government for its economic mismanagement.
He stated that the Punjab government has been misleading the public with false claims. He specifically addressed remarks made by Maryam Nawaz, who had claimed that the country’s economy was headed in the right direction.
“Maryam Nawaz says the economy is on the right track, but if we compare Punjab’s economic performance under their rule, during our tenure, poverty stood at 12%, while now it’s 13%,” he said.
He further criticised the government’s economic performance, noting that exports under PTI’s tenure reached 31 billion, while in 2024, exports were only projected to be 26 billion. “In 2022, the poverty rate was 35%, but under their rule, it has risen to 44%,” he added.
Akram also pointed out the increase in interest rates, which he argued had contributed to the rising fiscal deficits, with the government facing losses exceeding Rs408 billion. “Under their leadership, institutions like PIA are in the red,” he remarked.
He accused the Punjab government of failing to improve essential public services, such as healthcare, and claimed that Maryam Nawaz had personally named health units after herself, with colleges and universities also being linked to her family.
“In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Sehat Card provides coverage for 103 diseases, but now Maryam Nawaz has introduced separate cards for each disease,” Akram said.
In terms of agricultural policies, Akram accused the Punjab government of being “anti-farmer,” citing how the PTI’s poultry program had been mocked by the opposition when it was introduced. “Now, they themselves are becoming a joke,” he said, criticising the government’s handling of agricultural initiatives.
He further addressed the government’s recent statement regarding job cuts. “Their finance minister said they are cutting 150,000 jobs, but these seats were already vacant,” he claimed, accusing the government of deceiving the public by falsely claiming they were reducing the burden on the economy.
Muzammil Aslam also took aim at the opposition, claiming that while previous changes in Pakistan’s economy were once initiated in Lahore, they now start from Peshawar.
He compared the financial management of the PTI-led government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to the Punjab government’s handling of the economy, stating that while the former had made progress, the latter had left the country mired in debt.
Aslam further criticised the rising costs of essential goods, particularly food, pointing out that the forced reduction in wheat prices would likely lead to long-term negative consequences for the economy.
He noted the alarming number of Pakistanis leaving the country, stating that 1.8 million people had been forced to migrate.
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