PM lacks agenda: Khursheed Shah

PPP leader paints a grim picture of economy; sees a tough budget

ISLAMABAD: Senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Khursheed Shah thinks that Imran Khan is being used as a shield only, as he accuses the prime minister of pursing no agenda in the government but calling names of the opposition and "running parliament with tweets".

Addressing Meet the Press here at National Press Club on Tuesday, the senior opposition parliamentarian painted a grim picture of the national economy, and came down hard on the proposed amnesty scheme.

He said Prime Minister Khan had no other agenda than calling names of the opposition politicians. "Mr. Imran Khan, tell me one thing where you have brought improvement," Shah asked. "This is the only government which made the amnesty scheme for the thieves," he added.

Commenting on the economic condition of the country, Shah said the economy is struggling because the country is unstable. He stressed the country's survival is linked to the economic stability. "There is public outcry and the budget has yet to come. There will be more outcry [after the budget]," he added.

Shah told journalists that foreign investments had stopped coming, people are being deprived of two square meals as price-hike in items of daily use, inflation have made lives of ordinary people very difficult.
"Even tomato's price has soared to Rs100 per kilo, much more than sugar and rice. Prices of medicines have increased by 300%, the rupee is rendered worthless, Utility Stores are being closed down," he added.

He pointed out that under the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PtI) government, which promised one million jobs, people are being rendered jobless. The plight of the media is that the journalists are crying. Let people speak. Do not suppress their voices," he advised the ruling party.

He said despite political differences with the PTI, the PPP would cooperate with the government for the betterment of the masses and strengthening economy. "The opposition does not want this [public] outcry," he said.

Despite failures of the government, the PPP stalwart insisted, the military must not come at the forefront. "It seems Imran Khan is being used as a shield only," he said. He also criticised the military spokesperson's announcement to bring madrassas into the mainstream.

"It would have been better if the statements about madrassa reforms and other issues were made by ministers," he said, adding that the army should refrain from interfering in such matters as such acts make institutions controversial.

The PPP stalwart said that the country should rely on the unity among its people. "We should not believe in power rather we should believe in unity," Shah said. He also stressed the need for all institutions to work within their constitutional limits.

In a sharp rebuke to the government's policies, Shah said that [former prime minister] Zulfikar Ali Bhutto also had several technocrats in his government but "this government has done wonders". He also rejected the proposed amnesty scheme by the government.

He defended the performance of the former PPP government during the 2008-13 tenure. The PPP had inherited bad economic situation, he said. "Pakistan was facing so many challenges, including shortage of wheat, internally-displaced persons (IDPs) from Swat, floods and others," he added.

"The government faced all the challenges and addressed most of them amicably," he said. "The PPP government increased salaries of 8 million government employees by 125% and enhanced pensions by 100%... 4 million widows were provided financial assistance through the Benazir Income Support Programme," Shah noted.

Comparing the performance of the PTI government with the previous PPP-led government, Shah claimed that the gross domestic product growth rate in 2013 was 5.3% but now it was only 2.4%, inflation was 5.3% and now it was crossing 9%.

Responding to a question about the increase in the external debt during the PPP government, Shah said: "If the PPP took debts during its tenure then the Centre must ask Hafiz Sheikh [Prime Minister's Adviser on Finance] about it as he was also a part of the government at that time."

Shah asked the government to share the terms and conditions of the loans being taken from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on the floor of the house. He said taking IMF loan is not in the best interest of the country but it is imperative to stabilise economy.

Shah said as a political worker it is the constitutional responsibility of every parliamentarian to discuss and resolve all the problems being faced by the downtrodden segment of the society and stressed that the democratic system was the best option for improving conditions of the poor.

Responding to another question, Shah said the PPP had never supported terrorists nor issued statements in their support but failed to understand that why it was being negatively portrayed.

Commenting on the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Shah said that the party had weakened, adding that certain elements wanted to divide it.