Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Monday released a chart highlighting overall performance of both the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (2013-18) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (2018-22) governments.
The statistical chart draws a comparative analysis of both the parties, summing up the tenure of PML-N as a period of high economic growth, low inflation and unemployment rates, reduction in poverty, corruption and debts, increase in tax collection, and drop in the trade and fiscal deficits.
In a startling contrast, the report showed that the PTI’s regime was marred with low economic growth, highest ever inflation, extreme rise in unemployment, poverty, debt and corruption, decline in tax collection and surge in the trade and fiscal deficits.
The minister, in a news statement, said in 2018 when the PML-N tenure ended, dollar- rupee parity stood at Rs 116 but when the PTI regime was removed through vote of no-confidence one dollar was equal to Rs189. At the end of PML-N tenure in 2018, she said GDP growth rate was at 6.1 per cent, but Imran brought it to negative which was now expected at 4 per cent.
Inflation rate in 2018 was only 3.4 per cent which climbed to 13 per cent by the end of PTI rule. Likewise, food inflation which was only 2.3 per cent in 2018, rose to 15 per cent by end of PTI tenure.
Marriyum said a 20 kg sack of flour in Nawaz Sharif era was sold at Rs 700, while its rate jumped to Rs1100 during the tenure of PTI government. Sugar price which was Rs 53 per kilogram in 2018 reached the mark of Rs 90 after the end of PTI tenure, she added.
One kilogram ghee was available at Rs 151 per kg in 2018 but its price was Rs 470 when the PTI government was sent home. She said electricity tariff per unit was Rs 11 in 2018, but it reached to Rs 25 at the end of PTI tenure, and gas price per mmbtu in 2018 was Rs 600 and in April this year it reached Rs 1400. The minister said fiscal deficit stood at Rs 2,260 billion when the PML-N tenure ended in 2018 and it climbed to Rs 5,600 billion by the time the PTI regime was removed. The trade deficit was 30.9 billion dollars in PML-N era, while it jumped to 43 billion dollars in Imran’s era.
She said GDP-to-tax ratio was 11.2 percent in 2018 whereas it fell to 9.2 percent by April 2022.
From 1947 to 2018, she said all the governments together obtained loans worth Rs 24,953 billion but the national debt rose to Rs 42,745 billion during the PTI tenure.
There were 3.5 million unemployed persons in Pakistan when PML-N tenure ended in 2018, and in April 2022 there were 9.5 million unemployed persons which meant an increase of 6 million unemployed people in the tenure of PTI.
She said Pakistan’s rating in the Transparency International Index of corruption climbed 23 points during PTI rule as it was 117 in 2018 and reached 140 by the time PTI was removed.
The minister asked Imran as to why the ranking of Pakistan went up 23 points during the PTI rule. She said the people of Pakistan were fully aware of the fact that Imran Khan was responsible for the present economic woes and unemployment in the country.
Truth could not be hidden by lying, threatening or abusing, she said, adding the people knew the real culprits behind the present economic catastrophe.
She said substantial reduction in corruption and inflation witnessed during the eras of Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif.
Marriyum said Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif and PML-N government always gave relief to the masses.
The masses would not be punished for the “economic crimes” of Imran Khan.
“It is easy to increase the fuel prices, but we do not want to put more burden on the people,” she maintained.
The minister said Imran would have to answer for his “economic crimes” which included increase in prices of electricity, fuel and essential commodities. Increasing inflation was against the manifesto and tradition of PML-N, she added. She said Nawaz Sharif reduced poverty, unemployment, and loadshedding, and rooted out the scourge of terrorism. Marriyum said Pakistan was a democratic country and the decision regarding election would be taken in consultation with all the political and national parties.
She said the PTI wanted to create anarchy in the country, not the election. It sought the rule of a single person, party and ideology in the country, she added. The rule of a single party tantamount to fascism and autocracy, she said.
