PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Advisor, Muzammil Aslam, on Tuesday strongly criticized former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz, accusing them of creating “economic landmines” through their decision to grant electricity subsidies.
Aslam condemned the subsidies, calling them a significant economic blunder that his administration is determined to avoid. He claimed that the policies of Nawaz and Maryam undermined economic stability, suggesting their actions were a deliberate attempt to disrupt the financial system.
“The decisions made by Nawaz and Maryam were flawed and have caused serious damage,” Aslam stated. “Their subsidies created false expectations and have left us with major economic challenges. Now, the IMF is demanding these subsidies be withdrawn by September.”
He also criticized the federal government’s handling of the situation, accusing it of being politically driven and leading to a series of mini-budgets. “If we continue to rely on the federal budget model, we risk complete economic collapse,” Aslam warned.
The Finance Advisor further highlighted severe discrepancies in electricity costs faced by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, noting that the province produces power at PKR 7 per unit but purchases it at PKR 70 per unit.
He emphasized the province’s plans to develop its own transmission infrastructure and make independent decisions regarding its electricity supply.
Aslam also took a jab at PML-N leader Ata Tarar, accusing him of lacking an understanding of both constitutional and economic matters.
