Imran's eyewash relief package to add to inflation: Abbasi

Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government's desperate relief plan fiasco would further destroy the national economy, burden the people with more taxes and make the future of Pakistan bleaker.

At a press conference in Islamabad, flanked by former finance minister Miftah Ismail, Abbasi said that the incumbent government had already surrendered the entire economy and national economic institutions to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).  In its mini-budget, PTI imposed over Rs700 billion in taxes on the people.

"Imran Khan has announced a relief package but there is no money allocated in the main or the mini-budget foray for this. This means that this package is a desperate action to take more loans and add more burden to the economy to win back voters who had abandoned Imran due to the disastrous PTI rule," he lamented.

Abbasi said the PTI had clearly said that there was no room for any reduction in petrol prices and electricity prices because it had to fulfil the pledges made to the IMF, adding that this package means that the government would make running the country virtually impossible for anyone who proceeds after them.

“This strategy was a clear manifestation of intentionally destroying the national economy for political gains and vengeance at the same time,” he added, further claiming that inflation would increase due to a decrease in the power tariff by Rs5 per unit.

The former prime minister stated that Khan’s speeches did not mention the budget and Pakistan will have to fulfil the IMF policies by taking additional loans, leading to further inflation will increase.

Abbasi said that the prime minister denied all his policies and said that the government is reducing inflation which is contrary to the reality as the prices of petrol and diesel increased Rs40 in the past four months. If the government was to curb the inflation then they should have slashed the prices of wheat, ghee and sugar, he added.

The PML-N leader said that the people of the country were in such a miserable state that these crutches offered by the government would not bear the burden of this catastrophic PTI government. He further said that the government came to power in an unconstitutional manner but will be sent home packing in a constitutional way.

“The so-called accountability was brutally exposed with no evidence and no witnesses but mere false accusations by PTI touts and abuse of power by Imran Khan to misuse authority,” he maintained.