LAHORE: Terming the two years of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government as an 'unmitigated disaster,' Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that from foreign policy to economy to governance, Imran Khan's mismanagement of national affairs has increased the woes of the masses manifold.
Shehbaz took to social-networking website Twitter and posted that the people continue to pay heavy price for this failed experiment in 'political engineering.' "In two years of PTI government, GDP growth rate registered a massive decline from +5.8% in 2018 to -0.45% in 2020, rendering millions of people jobless and pushing many more below the poverty line," Shehbaz said, adding: "Prices of sugar, wheat and medicines almost doubled; while per capita income went down steeply." He criticised the PTI government for a "massive decline" in GDP and a steep decrease in per capita income.
Shehbaz Sharif also wrote, "After 70 years, India had the audacity to annex Kashmir after Imran Khan hoped PM Narendra Modi would win elections. Work on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) slowed down for a year, relationship with key allies such as Saudi Arabia was subjected to controversy."
He said, "The government has yet to surpass the tax and export targets achieved by the PML-N during its tenure. The PTI has taken more loans in just two years than taken by PML-N during its full tenure," he added.
On the other hand, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said the people had given a mandate to the PTI for "change" and the foundation of a "New Pakistan" has been laid with the power of vote on July 25, 2018.
In a statement, the CM said the idols of corruption were crushed and the mafia was defeated on July 25 and new hopes, new expectations, new approach and new ideology had won. He said the Naya Pakistan under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan would move ahead.
Meanwhile, a celebration party was organised at the PTI central Punjab secretariat. The function was chaired by central Punjab president Ejaz Chaudhry. The party leaders and workers cut a cake on the occasion of completing two years in power.
Chaudhry said the nation should not expect truth from opposition. He said the people of Pakistan had ousted the corrupt previous rulers with the power of their votes.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020