ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Taimur Saleem Jhagra on Monday dismissed the government’s claims of economic improvement, asserting that the ruling coalition has no viable strategy to steer the country out of its current financial crisis.
Addressing a press conference, Jhagra pointed to alarming statistics regarding national poverty. He claimed that the percentage of Pakistanis living below the poverty line has surged from 22 percent in 2018 to 29 percent currently. “The figures coming out regarding national poverty are worrying,” he stated.
Jhagra further elaborated on the regional impact of this economic decline, alleging that poverty has increased across the board over the last 11 years, with the most significant spikes occurring in the country’s two largest provinces. “Poverty increased the most in Punjab and Sindh,” he said, citing a 41 percent rise in Punjab and a 33 percent increase in Sindh.
Separately, former Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, also associated with the PTI, highlighted a deteriorating law and order situation, warning that no country can function effectively under such conditions. He called for immediate steps to ensure national stability, including holding fair and transparent elections.
Khokhar also reiterated demands for the release of political prisoners and urged the government to provide PTI’s founder with the best available medical facilities.
