Bane for business community, boon for masses

Opposition parties’ leaders say government failed to deliver

LAHORE: Opposition parties, business community and general public have expressed mixed reaction over Prime Minister Imran Khan’s address at the ceremony on completion of the first 100 days of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, opposition parties’ leaders said despite the rhetoric of change and dreams, Imran Khan failed to showcase any achievement of his government.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Punjab General-Secretary Chaudhry Manzoor said prime minister’s address was a vague mantra. “There was nothing new in his speech. He had delivered similar speeches in the past,” he said.

“The prime minister spoke about tax reforms, legal reforms and social sector development, but he failed to give any concrete plan. The government had wasted 100 days of the nation,” he remarked.

Jamat-e-Islami Pakistan (JIP) General-Secretary Liaqat Baloch said owing to the non-performance and mismanagement of the government, Pakistani rupee has fallen, the stock market was under stress and inflations had multiplied. “The government failed to bring any positive change. There is nothing to comment in Imran Khan’s speech.”

The JIP leader said the (PTI) government had wasted 100 days and it would continue to do so in the future as entire PTI leadership lacked a vision. “They have no idea how to run a government or a country,” he added.

A senior stockbroker, Asif Baig Mirza, said neither finance minister nor the prime minister told the business community that how the government would “repair the economy”. “They even failed to give a clear policy that how the government would solve the basic economic issue that were hampering trade, industry and public at large,” he said.

“Though,” he said, “100 days’ time is not sufficient to gauge the performance of the government but business community and investors did not have high hopes as prime minister or his team failed to give any detail of policies that have been prepared for the business community.”

Former president of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce of Commerce and Industry Shahid Hassan Sheikh said except a few able professionals, like Razzaq Dawood, Dr Ishrat Hussain, the PTI government lacks professionalism. “The business community has very little expectations from the government as it failed to make any mark in past 100 days,” he said.

All-Pakistan Anjuman Tajiran General-Secretary Abdul Razzaq Babbar said though Imran Khan failed to present any solution to the basic issues like inflation, high power tariffs etc, but still, people of Pakistan have pinned hopes on the PTI government. “Common man believes in Imran Khan’s leadership because he knows that the PTI government is not corrupt. Imran Khan, in his address, accepted that his government has not yet made any achievement but he highlighted that the government has made policies and it is going to enter in the implementation phase,” he said.

A citizen, Khurram Ali, said Imran Khan had accepted a big challenge. “Today, those who are criticising the PTI government, if they did the same with the previous rulers the country would not have been in this situation,” he remarked. He underscored that the rulers should be given fair time before gauging their performance.

Khalida, a housewife, said though the prime minister could not talk about any of the achievements of his government he did not make any false claim.

“He is the first ruler in Pakistan who is sincerely telling the nation about the real situation. The previous rulers have looted the country and never presented them for accountability but Khan has promised that his entire team is answerable to the nation which is the real change and Inshallah the country will flourish under Imran Khan’s leadership,” she voiced hope.