KARACHI: Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday said that Imran Khan is trying to cover up the economic catastrophe with persistent lies as the marketing of chickens, eggs and buffaloes cannot improve the country’s economy.
A statement issued by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari states that Imran Khan’s government used the old census data to depict higher per capita income. As long as there are experiments like Imran Khan in the country, Pakistan cannot make progress.
Reminding the premier of his promises, Bilawal recalled that Imran Khan had claimed to fix the national economy in 90 days but today it is the 1011th day and still there is no economic recovery.
PPP Chairman said that Imran Khan failed to fulfill any of the promises he made with the people. An increase of 53 percent in the import bill of food commodities in an agricultural country is a slap on the economic performance of the government, he added.
Bilawal said that a false impression of Imran Khan’s honesty was created but the truth is that the PTI elites are robbing the country with both hands.
Other than renaming changing the title of the Benazir Income Support Programme –launched by the PPP government almost a decade ago to alleviate the poverty-stricken people of the country – what has Prime Minister Imran Khan done to reduce poverty in the country, asked the PPP chairman on the occasion.
In this regard, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib on Tuesday reminded PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari of the Ehsaas initiative’s novelty and said all the projects of social protection launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan were ‘new’ and ‘fresh’.
In a reaction to Bilawal’s statement about the initiative, he cited names of some national-level programmes, rolled out under the umbrella of Ehsaas including Ehsaas Kafalaat, saving accounts, emergency cash, scholarships, interest-free loans and Kafalaat for special persons.
He also mentioned other initiatives which were operating in selected districts. It included Ehsaas Nashonuma, Ehsaas Amdan, Ehsaas Langars and Koi Bhooka Na Soye.
He pointed out some pilot projects of Ehsaas that included the provision of targeted subsidy to its beneficiaries through Utility Stores, Ehsaas Rehriban and others.
As regards to BISP, he said, “Bilawal Sahab! If you get tired of telling lies then take a moment to listen to the truth. The name of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is same as no change has been made to it.”
The minister said the PPP used the BISP to commit corruption as 850,000 undeserving people were enlisted in the programme during its tenure. It became an epitome of systematic corruption during the PPP’s tenure, he added.
He said it was the incumbent government that had used modern technologies to exclude 0.85 million undeserving beneficiaries from the welfare programme after thorough scrutiny. The beneficiaries also included the government officers of grade 17 to 21, he added.
On the other hand, he said Ehsaas was the first social protection initiative which was being run through digital means, and without political interference, adding, “During Corona, 31 per cent of the Ehssas Emergency Cash was distributed in Sindh, which is the highest rate in any province [of the country].”
He said all the initiatives under the Ehsaas were being appreciated by the public as deserving people were reaping its benefits successfully. It had also been praised by international organizations like the World Bank, he added.
The minister said the initiative was developed in accordance with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, who had been striving to transform the country into a Madina-like state. Such programmes were meant to take responsibility for the layman and oppressed class, he added.
Similarly, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar on Monday said Prime Minister Imran Khan wants to see development in Sindh.
Addressing a press conference in Sukkur, Asad said that the provincial government of the PPP is not performing and neither allowing others to work for the development of the province.
“Development in Sindh is Imran Khan’s vision,” the minister said and added that the premier announced a development package of Rs14,000 billion for Sindh.
Taking a jibe at Bilawal, said the current PPP chairman was not even born when PPP came into power in Sindh.
He said the people of Ghotki enjoy rights on the resources of the district first. Responding to a query related to inquiry against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Jahangir Tareen, Asad said PM Imran does not believe in victimising people.
