Tsunami of inflation is here, warns Daniyal Aziz

Former National Reconstruction Bureau chief wants 2001 LG system back.

SUKKUR: The former chairman of the National Reconstruction Bureau, Daniyal Aziz, expressing his concern over rising inflation, has said that a labourer, who earns only Rs300 a day, has to spend more than Rs100 on breakfast and lunch as a cup of tea costs him Rs20 and bread another Rs18.

Addressing a convention organised by the Local Council Association at Railway Ground here on Monday afternoon, Aziz warned that a tsunami of inflation was just around the corner which would make the life of people miserable. He attributed this to incorrect monetory policies.

He regretted that politicians, whether they belong to the Pakistan Peoples Party or Pakistan Muslim League-N or PML-Q or any other, own industries and have taken loans to the tune of billions of rupees from the banks to run their business. He said that people, who two to three years ago were able to afford two meals a day, are finding it difficult to manage one square meal a day. People driven by extreme poverty are either committing suicide or selling their children, he added.

Giving an example of rising inflation during the last three years, Aziz said that three years ago mutton was available at Rs120 per kilogramme but now it costs Rs540. Apparently referring to PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, he said that how the politicians, who spend Rs1.4 million per month to feed their lions, can feel the miseries of the poor.

Talking about the local government system introduced by the Musharraf regime and implemented by his NRB, Aziz recalled that it was aimed at devolving power to the grass-roots level and people’s problems were being solved at the local and union council levels. Besides this, women were given 33% representation in local government and now they have been deprived.

He said they too wanted to introduce certain changes to the local government system of 2001 to make it more effective. He demanded the government immediately restore the 2001 system along with Police Order 2002.  Former district nazim Sukkur and president of the local council association in Sindh, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, said that government was deceiving people by creating the perception that the local government system of 2001 only benefitted the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 22^nd, 2011.