ISLAMABAD: As the government celebrated one year of its performance, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders on Wednesday alleged that the economy, service sector and law and order situation were deteriorating due to government mismanagement and intelligence failures.
They insisted that conditions would not improve unless governance was handed over to the “true representatives of the people”.
Speaking at a press conference, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan claimed the federal government owed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rs1.2 trillion.
He accused the government of deliberately avoiding a Council of Common Interests (CCI) session to deprive Sindh of its rightful share. He also alleged that Sindh’s water was being diverted to Punjab.
Mr Khan further claimed that Pakistan’s foreign reserves stood at only $11 billion, with a portion allegedly purchased by the federal government from the open market.
Say situation won’t improve unless governance handed over to ‘true representatives’
The opposition leader warned that security conditions were worsening across the country. He pointed out that even parliamentarians from Balochistan, belonging to the ruling party, acknowledged that the situation was beyond control.
“People of Balochistan, particularly the youth, are saying they will decide their future on their own. Young officers are sacrificing their lives. There is an intelligence failure. Out of 13 intelligence agencies, five are preoccupied with pursuing PTI workers instead of addressing security concerns,” he claimed.
Mr Khan demanded an independent commission to investigate security failures, insisting that those responsible must be held accountable. “Pakistan is not getting investment because of security issues,” he claimed.
He highlighted that only Rs92bn had been utilised from the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) — just 10 per cent of the allocated funds — despite the fiscal year ending in June.
Questioning the government’s fiscal policies, he asked why, despite claims that state-owned enterprises were incurring losses of Rs850bn, a “white elephant” in the form of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) had been established. He demanded transparency on the qualifications of SIFC personnel, stressing that no one was willing to share the education and capabilities of people sitting on the council.
Omar Ayub Khan also blamed the PML-N government for setting up independent power producers (IPPs), leading to annual capacity payments of Rs2tr.
‘Stolen mandate’
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Shibli Faraz reiterated PTI’s claim that last year’s general elections had been rigged, stating that governance problems stemmed from an “imposed” administration that lacked legitimacy.
“Incompetent individuals occupy key positions. We need the rule of law; otherwise, no one will invest in Pakistan,” he said.
Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel criticised the government for celebrating its first year, stressing that it had failed to “get the vote of the masses”.
Speaking as an ordinary citizen, legal expert Salman Akram Raja compared current and past prices of essential goods.
“In March 2022, flour was Rs60 per kg; it is now Rs100. Rice has risen from Rs150 to Rs240 per kg. A dozen eggs cost Rs150 then but have now doubled. Similar trends are seen in milk, oil, sugar and pulses,” he said.
He regretted that while prices had surged by 70-80pc, wages had not kept pace, pushing 20m people below the poverty line, according to government reports.
Imran Khan’s vakalatnama
Meanwhile, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram on Wednesday alleged that prison authorities were refusing to have Imran Khan’s vakalatnama — a document that gives a lawyer the authority to represent a client in court — signed and returned.
In a statement, he said that Advocate Shoaib Shaheen submitted three attorney letters at Adiala Jail, but prison officials allegedly delayed the process and sent him back without signed documents.
