PTI contests govt’s claim of economic turnaround

ISLAMABAD: PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram Wednesday strongly disputed the ‘imposed’ government’s false claims of an economic turnaround and criticised the corrupt ‘ruling junta’ for their relentless spree of loot and plunder binging Pakistan two spots down in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2024.

According to a Transparency International report, Pakistan’s position has fallen from 133rd in 2023 to 135th in 2024 out of 180 countries.

Reacting to the report, he said the TI report was a slap in the face of mandate ‘thieves’, who were squandering billions of rupees on media advertisements to mislead the public with fabricated claims of economic prosperity. Waqas asserted that when certified corrupt individuals were fraudulently imposed on the country, corruption would surely witness an upsurge, as corrupt leaders breed a culture of corruption.

The PTI spokesman emphasized that the only remedy for the cancer plaguing the country’s governance and economy was to hand the reins of the country over to a genuinely elected government, led by an honest and clean leader like Imran Khan.

He said TI Chief Executive Officer Maíra Martini had rightly stated, “Today, corrupt forces not only shape but often dictate policies and dismantle checks and balances — silencing journalists, activists, and anyone fighting for equality and sustainability”. Lashing out at Nawaz Sharif, the PTI central information secretary charged that Pakistan’s foundations were not weakened by Imran Khan but by Nawaz and his family’s ruthless and merciless plunder of national resources over the past 30 years. He urged Nawaz to face the public and gauge their sentiments, including their love and respect for him, instead of holding daily meetings with his daughter.

Waqas emphasized that Nawaz should not vent his anger on the PTI founder but should instead settle scores with his ‘cunning brother and power-hungry’ daughter, who betrayed him and brought his fraudulent political chapter to a close once and for all.

Regarding the federal government’s one-year performance, Waqas conducted a thorough analysis and debunked its false claims of economic recovery using both government-owned and international data.

He said a government devoid of public mandate had devastated every sector of the country, including economy, turning lives of ordinary citizens into a living hell. Waqas asserted that the regime passed draconian laws like Peca to suppress the media and obstruct public’s access to the truth.

He claimed that the PDM government nosedived the fast-thriving economy of the country after regime change conspiracy, adding that when Imran Khan-led government was ousted, economy was growing at 6.2% in one of the most challenging times in history of the world.

However, he lamented that the corrupt clique plunged the country into worst economic, social and political crises due their self-centered approach and incompetence.

Waqas said around 13 million people had fallen below the poverty line between 2022 and 2023 with 6.4 million remained unemployed, as the unemployment rate currently stood at 7.5%, compared to 5.5% during PTI’s tenure.