Bilawal asked PM to quit or provide relief

Bilawal termed PM incompetent and selected

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari slammed the PTI-led government for high inflation and unemployment in Parliament yesterday. Bilawal Bhutto was speaking in the parliament in the session called to discuss inflation and price hike.  He made a fiery speech and blasted the government for implementing the anti-poor policies. He said that PTI government has turned a floundering economy into a "sinking economy" in just 17 months.

The PPP chairman further said that the PTI turned the situation from bad to worse. He said that inflation was peaking in the country and statistics from state institutions confirmed this. "The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, State Bank of Pakistan and the FBR are confirming this [economic situation getting worse]," he said. "These are the facts, Mr Speaker. These are not political statements."

Talking about the economic performance of the government, he said in the last 18 months, the size of economy has reduced from 230 billion dollars to 189 billion dollars and bank default increased from 654 billion dollars to 774 billion dollars. He pointed out that Pakistan would have to pay 15% interest on hot money of 2.2 billion dollars to 2.5 billion dollars whereas the borrowing rate around the world is not more than 4%, questioning who is earning from the bills of the State Bank of Pakistan.

He said the stock market suffered a loss of Rs 143 billion in a day while since last month, the stock market has fallen down by Rs690 billion. The PML-N leader said the trend on social media reflects that the focus of public opinion is on price hike and people were cursing themselves for voting PTI to power.

Coming harsh on Prime Minister Imran Khan, Bilawal said he should accept that he was selected, incompetent and not capable of running the affairs of the country. He accused the government of compromising on "economic independence" in front of the IMF, saying that he remembered how PM Imran used to say in the past that corruption caused inflation in the country. "The prime minister should tell us about the corruption taking place in the country," he said. "Or he should accept what we say.”

PPP chairman said he would not name the person who helped him to come to power. Speaker Asad Qaiser, however, expunged the remarks of PPP chairman. Bilawal also accused Imran and his government of sabotaging the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), saying that it was a matter of shame that the government is going to change title of the programme. “This shows how a man Imran Khan is,” he said.

As the speaker asked the PPP leader not to use indecent remarks for the Prime Minister, Bilawal said it was not the job of the chair to defend the premier. He said it was Imran Khan who before general elections said that he would prefer to commit suicide to getting loans once he comes into power. “I will not ask him to commit suicide but he should provide relief to the masses or quit the government,”  adding that the PTI government had sunk the economy while poverty, price hike and unemployment have increased manifold.

 “This is not a political statement, rather it were the facts being told by the institutions like FBR, State Bank and Federal Bureau of Statistics.”

Giving some figures, he said since January 2019, the inflation rate increased from 6.2% to 14.5%, food inflation rose from 1.6% to 24% while prices of perishable items increased by 78%. “I am surprised how the elected members face people in their constituencies,” he said. “People are asking whether they should arrange bread for their children and or pay utility bills,” he said.

Bilawal Bhutto’s hard hitting speech visibly upset the treasury benches.  Bilawal clearly and loudly termed the PTI government’s economic policies anti-people. Bilawal Bhutto demanded to renegotiate the IMF agreement. Just tear down this IMF agreement and renegotiate new agreement on new terms.

He began his address by criticising senior ministers of the government for not attending the important session. "The empty seats tell you how much importance the government attaches to such an important issue," he said. "The technology minister and postal services minister is here. But these are 'chota' ministers."

                                              Rukhsana Manzoor deputy editor