ISLAMABAD: Continu­ing his attack on the government, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has asked Prime Minister Imran Khan to step down for unleashing skyrocketing inflation in the country.

“Imran Khan should take responsibility for not controlling inflation, resign and go home,” said the PPP chairman in a statement issued on Sunday.

Addressing Mr Khan, the PPP chairman said inflation was touching the highest level in the country and people’s patience was running out.

“More than 100 per cent increase in the prices of medicines is tantamount to depriving the common man of his right to life. Flitting between his illegal Banigala mansion and the air-conditioned rooms of the Prime Minister’s House, the selected PM has no idea of the plight of parents who are having trouble paying their children’s school fees and house rent,” he said.

He pointed out that there had not been a single Eid since Mr Khan had become the prime minister when it had been easy for a poor family to buy new clothes due to high prices.

“Imran Khan’s false crusade against corruption has lured the people into long queues for sugar,” he said, adding: “The rulers around the world base policies on what they think is in the best interest of their people while Imran Khan’s policies seem focused on ways to enrich his cronies.”

Mr Bhutto-Zardari said if Mr Khan wanted to argue that three years were too short a period for the change he claimed he would bring in 90 days, then how could he explain his party’s eight-year-rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?

“Can he name a single thing that has changed apart from increasing prices at government hospitals (in the KP)?” he asked.

The PPP chairman said the premier should know that publicity stunts like opening langar khanas (soup kitchens) would not end poverty, as one had to practically and actively implement policies aimed at eradicating poverty, instead of pursuing policies aimed at eradicating the poor.

He said the “selected prime minister” was trying to deprive the common man of the comfort and security of even a piece of bread as people were compelled to pay Rs68 more for a 20kg bag of flour.

“The people will never forgive Imran Khan for crushing the poor under the burden of taxes imposed on the orders of the IMF (International Monetary Fund),” he said.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2021