ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan People’s Party yesterday alleged that the federal government had broken all inflation records.
Expressing her concerns on the record-breaking inflation in Pakistan, PPP Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman said it comes as no surprise that the government has broken a 70-year record of inflation over the past 3 years. “Prices of staple food items like poultry, sugar, ghee and flour have broken all past records while the government has given no explanations and nor has it shared any exit strategy,” she said.
In a statement, she said the between October 2018 to 2021, petrol prices have increased by 49% while electricity rates had gone up by 57%. Meanwhile, urban food inflation is in double digits for the last two years at least. “Prices of ghee, sugar and 20kg bag of flour over the last three years has been increased by 108%, 83% and 52%, respectively. Is this the tabdeeli that was promised,” she questioned.
Says essential items out of reach of common man
The Senator said food prices will further go up when the rate of petroleum products will increase. “Even though petrol is at Rs137.79, there’s news that petrol prices are expected to further increase by Rs7 from November 1. On the other hand, rupee is at an all-time low as the US dollar has hit a rate of Rs 175 at the interbank but governor state bank is telling us that a weaker rupee results in higher remittances,” she added.
After all the bulldozing of bills, she claimed, “it is unfortunate that Pakistan remains on the FATF grey list and despite the economic mess that they have put Pakistan in, the government seems least interested in fixing pressing issues as it is busy in vile campaigns against opposition members, female journalists or busy in extending PEMRA’s powers who is acting like Pakistan’s vice and virtue police.” This government, she said, was attempting to shroud what is left of our once vibrant cultural expression, in a dark veil of insidious rules that will stifle creative pluralism on television.
The PPP Parliamentary Leader in the Senate said that the government was in deep slumber while the opposition and civilians are protesting for change and relief.
“The government needs to realise that they cannot play the blame game forever as blaming others for inaction to mask their own incompetence is not a policy and now people are getting tired of their theatrics,” she added