Former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail on Tuesday said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders are ready to face accountability but Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen along with Speaker Punjab Assembly Pervaiz Elahi, a senior PML-Q leader, should also be investigated.
Speaking at a presser here along with Senator Musadik Malik and MNA Marriyum Aurangzeb, he said that the ruling PTI did not even spare the cooks of opposition parties, especially the PML-N, in the name of 'so-called' accountability of political opponents, but the government must go for an across the board accountability.
"The investigators are not even sparing the cooks of the opposition parties...do probe them as we're ready to face accountability but they must not spare Jahangir Tareen and Pervaiz Elahi, as PM Imran Khan used to dub the latter as the 'biggest plunderer' the Punjab," he maintained.
He said that inflation rate jumped to 7 percent in October from 5.12 percent, which is quite alarming as unprecedented price hike in POL prices has crushed the common man, adding the rupee depreciation continues while dollar rate is going up and up with each passing day.
He said that the country has $70.2 billion foreign debt, while it has a total $24 billion domestic debt. He said that Saudi Arabia has committed a relief package while talks with the UAE and China are under way so what is the need to approach the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
"These are the flawed policies of the new government's economic managers due to which the electricity prices were increased by 144 percent," he lamented. Ismail came down hard on the government for accusing the PML-N of imposing indirect taxes, saying the incumbent government broke all the previous records by imposing Rs 920 billion new taxes, which are enough to expose the double standard of the rulers.
"This is the writing on the wall that PTI government will borrow more than its predecessors. The new government is doing nothing but telling a pack of lies...they lie to mislead people whenever they want to," he alleged. He said that the Prime Minister himself does not pay any tax, as he paid only Rs 147,000 income tax last year, which shows his annual income is hardly Rs 0.5 million per year, adding how he pays the utility bills of his grand Banigala mansion.
"He [PM] should tell the nation how he manages his utility bills and other expenses...if these are paid by your friends and they bear the fuel expenses of your car, how you return the favour," he questioned. Taking a jibe at the government, Ismail said that PTI is responsible for rupee depreciation and increasing inflation.
Senator Musadiq Malik demanded the government to restore development budget if the economic crisis is resolved. He said that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is a reality of Pakistani politics, adding that accountability of Tareen and Elahi is need of the hour.