The promise we had

The PTI government has been obsessed with its agenda to bring a ‘change’ and create Naya Pakistan by means of across-the-board accountability, good governance, austerity, elimination of corruption and repatriation of national wealth laundered abroad etc. However, if all these measures fail to reduce the cost of living, direct and indirect taxes and the rate of unemployment, these slogans of change are nothing but mere political rhetoric. Every passing day, there is an increase in essential commodities’ prices owing to rapid rupee devaluation resulting in an exponential rise in the cost of living which the government casually brushes aside as being luxury items with no impact on the poor.

The imposition of additional new indirect taxes and the gradual withdrawal of subsidies to please the IMF for a lucrative bailout package will cause purchasing power of the people to fall drastically. I am certain that PTI supporters voted for the party because they wanted to have access to cheaper and affordable life with lesser taxes and more subsidies, incentives and jobs. Unfortunately, the reality has been just the opposite.

Fuad Enver

Islamabad