LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) General Secretary Salman Akram Raja, alongside city president Mian Usman Akram, criticised the federal government, citing widespread economic distress, bad governance, and the ongoing detention of PTI leadership.
While addressing a press conference on Thursday, Raja highlighted his recent visit to Kahna, located within NA-123, the constituency of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, to offer condolences to the families of children killed in the area. He said the Kahna incident highlights a deeply flawed system that fails to provide education and healthcare to the children of the poor.
The widespread suffering in Form 47, which lies within the Prime Minister’s constituency, and the tragic loss of 14 young lives in their pursuit of education, reflect the dark reality of this system. The PTI, led by Imran Khan, stands as a voice for the underprivileged. “We are advocating for the poor both inside and outside of Parliament.”
“Today is a time of sorrow,” he stated, describing the horrific conditions observed during their visit. “The entire area is in a state of misery, with broken roads and crumbling infrastructure. This is the reality of a constituency represented by the Prime Minister himself. It reflects a system fundamentally based on lies and barbarity.”
Raja noted that despite the government presenting five budgets, widespread economic distress remains visible across every constituency in Pakistan. “This government operates on a foundation of lies and barbarity, whereas the PTI is not just a political force; we are also a social force, and we stand with everyone sad, poor, and worried.”
He noted that the World Bank report has indicated that the federal government’s expenses are unjustifiable. “There have been unnecessary appointments in sectors that were supposed to be abolished. After the 18th Amendment, the expectation was to reduce federal expenses, but that has not happened while 40 percent of children in the country do not attend school, and even among those who do, many lack access to quality education.”
He pledged that the PTI will now play its role as a social force, adding that despite state crackdowns, the PTI remains a resilient political and social force that will not retreat from its stance.
The PTI leader raised alarms over the situation in Azad Kashmir, saying there are serious issues of oppression in Azad Kashmir. He noted that the internet is shut down, and there have been many deaths. He averred that the situation there is becoming increasingly similar to what they are seeing across all of Pakistan, adding that the founder of PTI and Bushra Bibi have been imprisoned under what he considers an illegal case. “To those who claim that the PTI has been suppressed and has retreated, I say that this is completely wrong. We are standing firm and will not retreat. Victory will be ours, and that time is not far off; it will come soon. The PTI is stronger than ever.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026