PML-N leaders slam PTI govt over inflation

Advise taking cases to court instead of carrying out media trial

ISLAMABAD : The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders have said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government should take their cases to court instead of carrying out media trial.

“The government ministers are giving false statements and in the coming days inflation will increase,” said Marriyum Aurangzeb, Miftah Ismail and Musadik Malik while addressing a news conference at the National Press Club on Tuesday.

The PML-N leaders called for an across-the-board accountability.

They even questioned Prime Minister Imran Khan as to what favours was he providing to those who were paying for his expenditures.



“Imran found no corruption in the CPEC project which is why he is expressing satisfaction over it,” the leaders said, adding that inflation in the country had risen to a four-year high and if the government claimed otherwise, it should prove it.

“The biggest problem of the country is the lies of the government, an example of which is that the PTI government had said that they would bring back $200 billion, but are now saying that it was a misunderstanding,” said the leaders, adding that the rulers were lying about everything.

Miftah Ismail said that they were telling lies so well that yesterday they said that money laundering worth Rs700 billion was traced and that 83 per cent theft was committed by the families of Nawaz Sharif and Zardari.



“If it is like that, tell what theft has been caught,” said Ismail. “To hide one lie, they tell another.”

To a question, he said, “First and foremost hold us accountable if we are thieves. We are already being held accountable … if further accountability is required, do it … we are ready.”

He said, “If accountability is being done, hold Chaudhry Sarwar and Jahangir Tareen accountable also. If accountability is being initiated, Aleem Khan should also be held accountable.”

Ismail said, “Imran Khan, who talks about Madina, should give his account also.”



He questioned if Imran had paid Rs147,000 tax, where did the money come from?

He demanded of Imran to tell if he received petrol for so many cars of his. “If no, do Jahangir Tareen, Aleem Khan and Faisal Vawda pay for it. If yes, do you return it,” asked Ismail.

He said accountability of benami accounts of faluda sellers was a good thing but accountability of the accounts in the names of drivers and gardeners must be done also.

He said the government raised prices of electricity, and gas and petrol prices went up from Rs87 to Rs98 per litre, adding that the exchange rate, which was at Rs115 against the dollar when the PML-N government left, had now reached Rs133.

He predicted that in the coming months, a new wave of inflation and price hikes would hit the common man due to the inability of the federal government to manage the economy.

“Shehbaz Sharif should have been made the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee as per the parliamentary tradition set in the last 10 years, but the PTI refused to do so to hide its corruption and inefficiency,” said the PML-N leader.

On the occasion, Musadik Malik said Imran Khan had informed that 4.9 million homes had been built since the creation of Pakistan and announced that five million homes would be built, but deducted Rs1.5 billion from its budget.

“Will Rs2 billion to Rs3 billion cut from the transmission lines for the provision of electricity be returned?” Ismail asked.

The PML-N leaders said Imran asked for donations for water but deducted Rs1 billion from the budget.

“Everyone participated in the dams fund, but he himself reduced the budget and asked the citizens to put the money,” they said.

Musadik reminded that the government had cut Rs90 billion allocated for projects in health, education, power, science, technology and water sectors.

The leaders demanded of the government to prove its claim that crisis had been averted, return the amount deducted from the budget and take back its decision of imposing indirect taxes.

They also urged the government to take back its decision to cut the Public Sector Development Programme.

(WITH ADDITIONAL UNPUT FROM APP)