ISLAMABAD  -  Pakistan People’s Party yesterday slammed the federal government after the Transparency International released its annual report, showing that corruption situation in Pakistan had worsened in 2020.

The annual Corruption Perceptions Index for 2020 has revealed that persistent corruption was undermining healthcare systems and contributing to democratic backsliding amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Chairman Transparency International Pakistan Chapter Sohail Muzaffar said that Pakistan had been ranked on 124th position out of 180 countries in the 2020 CPI.  PPP leader Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said that the report of Transparency International had exposed the false claims of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government.

Khokhar said that contrary to claims of the National Accountability Bureau and the government, corruption had increased in the country.  “In the times of a so-called truthful and honest government, corruption has increased and economy has decreased. Every sector has deteriorated during this selected, incapable and illegitimate government. The government has lost every bit of credibility,” he added.

Khokhar said that the price-hike and unemployment had made the lives of the people hell. “The dreams which Imran Khan had sold to the people of Pakistan are proving to be a nightmare,” the PPP leader said.   Separately, Secretary Information, PPP Parliamentarian Shazia Atta Marri said that the knowledge of PM Imran Khan about the power sector was defective as the power load-shedding was still continuing in several parts of the country even in this winter season.

Responding to Imran Khan’s speech, Shazia Marri said that there was a regular increase in power tariff since this incapable government had been imposed on Pakistan. 

“Imran Khan had said that he will bring back 200 billion dollars to the country but has taken 11 billion dollars in loan in the last 30 months. The debt is increasing with such a fast pace that was never experienced before. The value of rupees to dollar has decreased due to the failed economic policies of the Prime Minister,” she said. 

Shazia Marri said the time between 2008 to 2013 was the worst for terrorists. “Imran Khan was called Taliban Khan and the people of Pakistan still remember this title for Imran Khan,” she said.

Meanwhile, the PPP denounced assault on protesting students by law enforcing agencies in Lahore as well as the kidnapping of some students by plainclothes persons as “callous and alarming” and called upon the authorities to listen to the students instead of hounding them.

In a statement on Thursday, Secretary General of the PPP Parliamentarians Farhatulah Babar said that universities were already holding classes online, the Higher Education Commission had no objection to the examinations also being held on line and peaceful protests by students in support of their demands was absolutely justified. 

The Constitution and the law permit the right to peaceful protests. Police taking physical remand of protesting students is condemned in the strongest terms, he said.

Private universities were fleecing students, they are not used to student’s protests and reportedly used private security guards to torture students in presence of police, he said. 

Babar demanded immediate release of all students and a judicial probe into the incident. The PPP also demands withdrawal of all false cases instituted against students, he said.

The Students Action Committee, a collective of various student bodies, have announced to hold nationwide protest demonstrations on Friday to protest brutal use of force and torture against peaceful students. 

“The PPP calls upon the government and law enforcing agencies to desist from acting like an occupation force and begin a dialogue with the students for a peaceful resolution of the issues,” Babar said.