ISLAMABAD: The PTI on Saturday slammed the government for its “anti-farmer” and “anti-poor” policies, accusing the ruling coalition of weakening the economy and burdening the underprivileged with over-taxation.

At a press conference, PTI MNAs Usama Mela, Khawaja Sheraz Mehmood, Mubeen Arif Jutt, and Shandana Gulzar presented a grim picture of the nation’s agriculture, economy, and law and order, exposing the “disconnect” between the government’s statistics and the ground realities.

They claimed the rulers were directly responsible for the worsening economic situation, as they continued to increase their own lavish expenditures while ordinary citizens bore the burden of economic hardship.

MNA Usama claimed that the agriculture sector was facing a “total collapse” under the PML-N government. He noted that cotton cultivation declined significantly, and that the agriculture sector failed to achieve even 0.6pc growth against a target of 6pc. “Due to crippling taxation policies, the total cultivable area for cotton has been drastically reduced from 2.4 million to just 5.5 lakh acres,” he claimed.

Lawmakers accuse rulers of enjoying luxuries at taxpayers’ expense

Shandana Gulzar spoke about the “stark contrast” between the “economic stability” in the Imran Khan era and the current government’s data. Referring to World Bank reports, she claimed that the current government was misquoting figures across every sector, from agriculture and poverty to petrol prices, education, and healthcare.

She wondered that tax relief, in the form of a reduction in the super tax, has been handed to wealthy industrialists and big businesses, while the government has taxed essential household items for the poor.

On the occasion, Khawaja Sheraz warned that the government was not interested in agriculture. He said Pakistan once produced 16 million bales of cotton, trailing India by only one million bales. Today, Pakistan’s output has crashed to nearly five million bales, he added.

The PTI MNA noted that the Federal Seed Certification Depart­ment was abolished in the name of downsizing and replaced with a seed authority. He said instead of reforms, the government hired new personnel at more than double the previous salaries, rendering the institution counterproductive.

Mr Sheraz stated that despite a surplus of sugar, the government imported more simply to benefit sugar mill owners because they enjoyed powers, adding that the government often blamed the IMF for crushing the public with inflation, fuel levies, and tough decisions; however, they ignored IMF objections when their own financial interests were at stake.

Mubeen Arif Jutt said that the government has slashed spending on public welfare projects but refuses to cut down on its own luxuries, adding that public funds were being squandered on personal publicity.

Mughalpura case

Meanwhile, the PTI criticised the 10-year imprisonment sentences awarded to its senior leaders, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Mian Mahmoodur Rashid, Ijaz Chaudhry, and Umar Sarfraz Cheema, in the Mughalpura vehicle burning case linked to the May 9 events. Sheikh Waqas Akram, PTI information secretary, described the verdict as a grave miscarriage of justice.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2026