PESHAWAR:
PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram on Friday criticized the Punjab government under the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for its “anti-farmer policies” and mismanagement amid growing desperation among the masses.
Speaking along with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Finance Minister’s Advisor Muzammil Aslam during a press conference in Peshawar, Akram accused the Punjab government of “mastering the art of deception”, adding that it was misleading people about the supposed economic advances.
He criticized Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for claiming that there was an economic recovery under her government, challenging her to make a comparison between Punjab and KP. “She says the economy is on the right track, but we challenge you to compare the economic situation of Punjab with that of KP during PTI rule. Poverty under our government was 12%, but under them, it is 13% “.
He further recalled that during the PTI government, exports reached 31 billion dollars, while in 2024 they had fallen to 26 billion dollars under the PML-N government.
“In 2022, poverty was 35%, but now it has increased to 44%. Their policies have worsened all economic indicators, from rising interest rates to huge institutional losses, including the PIA,” he said.
The PTI spokesperson further accused the PML-N of exploiting public institutions for personal gain. “They have not strengthened national institutions. Instead, they are renaming basic health units, colleges and universities after family members.”
He also claimed that KP’s Sehat Card covers the treatment of 103 diseases, while the PML-N has unnecessarily created separate cards for each disease.
Accusing the Punjab government of “anti-farmer policies”, Akram recalled that when the PTI launched the poultry programme, the PML-N had mocked it, “but now they themselves have become a laughing stock”.
He also criticized the Punjab Finance Minister for wrongly claiming that the government had cut 150,000 jobs, saying such positions were already vacant.
“They are deceiving the public under the guise of reducing government burdens.”
On the occasion, Muzammil Aslam highlighted the governance of the KP as a model of economic stability. “Once, change in Pakistan began in Lahore; now it begins in Peshawar. When our leader [Imran Khan] We talked about reducing debt, they laughed at us. But still, KP’s debt is only Rs 725 billion, while Shehbaz Sharif borrowed an equivalent amount in just a week.”
He accused the government of embezzling essential commodities. “They forcibly reduced flour prices by 36%, which will be counterproductive in the future. They have forced 1.8 million Pakistanis to leave the country due to desperation,” Aslam said.
He also dismissed the stock market’s recent surge, saying the 52,000-point rise was driven by just five companies, two of which exploited the public mercilessly.
