Half of working class lost jobs during 32-month PTI misrule: Bilawal

KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has expressed deep concern over the unprecedented rise in unemployment, as almost half of the working-class have either lost their salaries or their jobs during the 32 months of PTI misrule.

In a statement issued from Media Cell Bilawal House, the PPP chairman said Imran Khan had claimed that 2020 would be ‘the year of jobs,’ but his government has only overseen mass unemployment. PTI manifesto had promised to create 10 million jobs, but the youth are wandering the corners of Pakistan, degrees in hand, and the government has failed in creating employment, he added.

Bilawal also said no government in Pakistan’s history had such anti-employment policies as the current one. The minimum unemployment ratio during PPP government was 0.42 percent, while under the PML-N it reached 4.08 percent and under the PTI government’s 32 month stint in power it had already increased to 4.45 percent. The People’s government had created employment for more than 6 million youths across the country and in return, the PPP leadership faced false and fabricated cases of corruption, he added.

Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari pointed out that Bangladesh, Vietnam, Ghana and even Myanmar were out-performing Pakistan in terms of the employment ratio. Instead of creating 10 million jobs, Imran Khan had fired thousands of employees from Radio Pakistan, PIA, Steel Mills and the Sports Board, he said. PPP chairman further said Imran Khan had even been heartless enough to lay off workers during the lockdown caused by the coronavirus.—PR

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021