LAHORE: Rejecting the incumbent government’s claims of improved economic indicators, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf says the country’s GDP growth declined and some 13 million people have been pushed below the poverty line after the “regime change” in 2022.

Comparing PTI government’s economic indicators with the present one, the party’s Punjab chief organiser Aliya Hamza says the country’s GDP growth stood as high as 6.18 per cent, which declined to 0.92pc in 2025. She said the poverty indicators, which were 18.4pc in 2022, have shot to 25.3pc now.

Referring to the inflation that directly affects the masses, Ms Hamza said the electricity bill had increased by 212pc, diesel prices by 80pc, petrol prices by 70pc and domestic cylinder’s rate has gone up by 43pc. The gas bills have been inflated by 1,291pc, she regretted.

Stating that the daily-use items’ prices increased by 187pc, the Ms Hamza said rice prices increased by 95pc, flour prices by 52pc, sugar prices by 59pc, beef by 70pc, mutton by 58pc, chicken 64pc, eggs by 158pc, milk 68 pc, and prices of cooking oil increased by 20pc.

The PTI chief organiser said the major industries’ production was boosted by 11.71pc in 2022, but it continuously declined in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Ms Hamza alleged that the Punjab government was publicising fake indicators through advertisements using public money and was least bothered about the masses.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2025