- Asks Nawaz to face public to check popularity, not vent anger on Khan
ISLAMABAD: Exposing the imposed government’s false claims of an economic turnaround, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) criticized the corrupt ruling junta for their relentless spree of loot and plunder, as a result, Pakistan dropped two spots in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2024, falling from 133rd in 2023 to 135th in 2024 out of 180 countries.
PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram stated that the Transparency International report is a slap in the face of the 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.
PTI CIS emphasized that the only remedy for the cancer plaguing the country’s governance and economy is to hand over the reins of the country to a genuinely elected government, led by an honest and clean leader like Imran Khan.
He said that Transparency International Chief Executive Officer Maíra Martini 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 (CIS) stated that Pakistan’s foundations were not weakened by PTI founder Imran Khan, but rather by Nawaz and his family’s ruthless and merciless plunder of national resources over the past thirty years.
He urged the cowardly 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 added that a government devoid of a public mandate has 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.
PTI CIS revealed 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 that around 13 million people have 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.
He reminded that PML-N and PPP had severely damaged the economy during their respective governments from 2008 to 2025, leaving the country on the brink of bankruptcy each time. Waqas stated that the PDM government reduced the growth rate from 6% to -0.22%, and it remained at 2.5% in 2023-24.
PTI CIS stated that the government devasted agriculture sector, as production of major crops witnessed a decline by 11%, fearing an alarming decrease in wheat production this year. He warned that if the government continued its current policies, the situation could become dire in the coming months. He stated that industrial growth remained negative at -0.25% from July to November, reaching -3.8% in November. He criticized Shehbaz’s “winter electricity package,” stating that no one in Pakistan is willing to buy electricity from the government due to its anti-public policies.
He also dismissed the government’s claims of reducing inflation, revealing that inflation increased by 60% over the past two years, adding that non-food inflation stood at 10.4%, which had broken the back of the common man.
Moreover, he sarcastically credited Shehbaz for the highest number of internet shutdowns in Pakistan over the past year, forcing around 1.8 million people to leave Pakistan in the last two years. He revealed that the incompetent government borrowed Rs. 7 trillion in a single year and raised the question, if the economy is truly recovering, why has the credit rating not improved, especially since it remains lower than it was during Imran Khan’s tenure?
In contrast, he highlighted that KP outperformed Punjab and other provinces, noting that KP had become the first province to repay its debt, having successfully paid off R. 30 billion.
PTI CIS emphasized that the only solution to the country’s current problems and severe economic crisis is to return Imran Khan’s stolen mandate and hand over the reins of the country to the people’s elected representatives before it is too late.
