ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has announced to start countrywide protests against the price increase from next week and stated that economy was on slide and life of the people has become difficult due to skyrocketing price hike in the country.
Addressing a press conference, former minister for information and broadcasting and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said there is decrease in the prices of oil and edible in the international market but are being increased by the government domestically. He said that the government was not passing on the impact of decrease in oil and edible prices in the international market.
Chaudhry explained that when PTI was in power oil prices in the international market were hovering between $105-$115 but petrol price was Rs 149 per litre and today when oil prices in the global market has fallen to $83 per barrel, petrol prices are Rs 236 per litre, up by Rs 80 per litre.
Similarly, he said that edible oil prices have fallen from $1700 to $800 but government has not decreased even a rupee in the price of cooking oil or ghee and flour which was being sold at Rs55 during PTI government, today its price in Karachi is Rs 105 per kg.
PTI leader further stated that electricity price during their government was Rs 16-18 per unit and today per unit price has gone up to Rs 36 per unit and Panadol tablet is unavailable in the market primarily because the federal government has not fixed its price and not a single project, even of real estate sector was launched during the last four months. As a result, he said that the people are becoming unemployed. He said that inflation has increase manifolds and government decision has made the life of common man very difficult and in this context the party has directed the district presidents to make preparations to set out a country wide movement against price hike. He said that led to deterioration of the economy and 220 million people are victim of the decision.
Fawad Chaudhry termed the Chief Election Commissioner decision to postponed by election in those constitutes which were not affected by the flood after spending millions of tax payers’ money as uncalled for and stated that present government has after sensing defeat.
He added that it was known to everyone that there was flood from last three months but they announced by-elections despite his party’s opposition and now their postponement has once against exposed the bias of the Chief Election Commissioner against the PTI.
There is total administrative chaos in the ECP due to incompetence of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), he said and expressed regret that his party case against member in the ECP from Sindh was not being taken up from the last eight months.
Fawad Chaudhry said there is also question mark on the judicial system of the country the way on the date of their indictments, Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza were made Prime Minister and Chef Minister.
Chaudhry said his party considered the institutions as very important and wanted close relationship with them but also wanted that political parties should also be considered as an institution and be given respect. He said that political parties are also an institution because they represent the will of the people and non-elected institutions should not take decision behind close door to demonize or glorify any leader as this is the right of the people of the country. He also regretted that not terrorism law was being misused against the political opponent.
He said that the former Prime Minister Imran Khan of the total Rs 5 billion donated by the people in the first flood victims telethon, Rs 3 billion has arrived in the KP and Punjab banks and as the former prime minister announced Rs 1 billion would be used in Sindh.
He said that in a meeting Dr Sania Nishtar how to make best use of the money donated into the fund and deplored that the present government has been unable to mobilize private funding and even those friendly countries who had helped Pakistan during 2005 earthquake are not ready to donate because of the prime minister and his party’s reputation. Former minister for information said that Punjab and KP governments have more affectively managed the people affected by the flood as opposed to Sindh government and without political change there would be no effective handling of disasters in Sindh and Balochistan. He said that there was censorship on media and Chief Justice Sindh and Islamabad High Courts should take notice of the violation of their directives in this regard.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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