LAHORE: Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, Secretary General Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP), has said that the government has failed to fulfil its responsibility of controlling prices of essential items in the country.

Also, while criticizing the government for Rs10 per liter increase in petrol prices two days after increasing the electricity tariff by Rs1.90 per kWh, he said, the plight of a common man has become miserable due to prevailing situation on ground. He was talking to media on Saturday after paying condolence to Aslam Gill, the PPP Punjab leader, on the death of his nephew. He was accompanied by former President PPP Punjab Qamar Zaman Kaira and other leadership.

Later, he also paid visits to the residences of President of PPP Women Wing in Punjab Samina Khalid Ghurki and the PML-N Member National Assembly Shaista Pervaiz Malik to express condolences on the death of Arshad Ghurki and Pervaiz Malik respectively.

According to him, it was responsibility of the government to control prices but it has restricted itself to repeating the manta of 'Worry Not' (Ghabrana Neheen). He said there was no increase in the prices of essential items during the PPP government despite the fact that the petrol prices were on the highest level during 2008 -2013. We had even not increased petrol prices, he added.

He said the government was taking anti-people steps on the dictation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), fearing that the situation would be worsened further in case the government withdraws Sales Tax exemptions ahead.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021