Imran govt completes one year; people anger over inflation

Exactly a year ago Imran Khan swept to power with a promise to make a “New Pakistan,” but today, Pakistan media reports say, there is widespread dissatisfaction among the people mainly because of rising prices.

Khan promised a “welfare state,” but a derailed economy has forced him on the back foot, leading to most of his promises remaining unfulfilled, The Express Tribune said, adding in the past one year, Pakistani rupee has dropped up to 30 per cent and the inflation has soared as much as nine per cent.

Another national daily Jang quoted experts saying that today’s situation in Pakistan was worse than the days of ‘global boycott’ of the country following nuclear tests in the late nineties.

The Express Tribune quoted a common citizen Mohammad Ashfaq (60), a colour-dye seller, as saying: “To bear the daily expenses, it is necessary for me to earn at least Rs 1,000 every day. But I earn only Rs 500-600 per day”.

To revive the country’s economy, the Pakistan government has borrowed money from countries such as Saudi Arabia and from International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, the IMF’s structural development conditions for the aid have worsened the situation.

These conditions have led to a rise in the prices of essential services such as electricity.

The paper quoted Asgar Ali, an Associate Professor at Karachi University, as saying: “Around 80 lakh people are going to join the persons who are already living below the poverty line”.

(IANS)