Imran responsible foreconomic catastrophe, inflation, unemployment: Marriyum

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Tuesday that former Prime Minister Imran Khan was the “culprit” behind economic catastrophe, inflation and unemployment in the country.

In a tweet, she said that Imran would have to be accountable for the injustice done to the people and he could not escape through political dramas and lying.

Marriyum also shared a chart of statistics regarding the country’s development during the rule of PML-N from 2013 to 2018 and PTI rule from 2018 to April 2022.

According to the chart, the value of dollar increased from Rs 116 in 2018 to Rs 189 in 2022. National growth rate slowed from 6.1% to 4% (expected) whereas inflation increased from 3.9 per cent during PML-N tenure to 13 pc during PTI regime. Food inflation increased from 2.3 pc to 15 pc, flour 20 kg bag price increased from Rs 700 to Rs 1100, sugar per kg from Rs 53 Rs 90, ghee price from Rs 151 to Rs 470 per kg. Electricity tariff increased from Rs 11 per unit to Rs 25, gas from Rs 600 per MMBTU to Rs 1400 MMBTU.

Urea fertilizer sack price increased from Rs 1380 to Rs 1918 (also sold at Rs 3,000), fiscal deficit increased from Rs 2260 billion to Rs 5600 billion (expected), trade deficit increased from $30.9 billion to $ 43 billion.

Tax ratio decreased from 11.1 pc to 9.2 pc , government debt increased from Rs 24953 billion from 1947 to 2018 to Rs 42745 billion in three and a half years. The number of unemployed persons increased from 3.5 million to 9.5 million which meant increase of 6 million unemployed .

Similarly, Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index ranking of Pakistan rose from 117 to 140, with a 23% increase in corruption. In four years, the number of people living below the poverty line increased by 20 million people, including 13 million children.