PESHAWAR: Opposition parties in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Tuesday claimed that the country’s economy was on the brink of collapse due to the government’s flawed policies, while Prime Minister Imran Khan had failed to deliver on his promises.

Starting debate on price hike and unemployment in the assembly on Tuesday, opposition leader Akram Khan Durrani said main slogans of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf before general elections were the alleviation of poverty and provision of jobs to unemployed youths.

He said the State Bank of Pakistan, World Bank and other international institutions had painted a bleak picture of the national economy.

Mr Durrani said inflation had increased, while the government had failed to deliver. He said the people had lost the power to purchase goods due to high inflation rate.

The opposition leader said Prime Minister Imran Khan had expressed dissatisfaction with the country’s overall economic condition, while finance minister Assad Umar had stated that the people would start ‘crying’ due to price hike.

He added that ironically, other members of the cabinet declared that there would be a ‘deluge’ of jobs in the country in near future.

“I do not know who is correct, the prime minister or his ministers,” he said, adding that the national economy shows negative indicators.

Mr Durrani said the US dollar had hit all-time high at Rs145 as the government had failed to stop the devaluation of rupee.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MPA Sardar Mohammad Yousaf said Premier Imran Khan had claimed the creation of millions of jobs. He said the people were losing jobs due to ill-planned policies of the government.

Mr Yousaf claimed that the national economy was on the verge of collapse and that the PTI government had borrowed record loans.

Maulana Lutfur Rehman of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal said the federal government was diverting funds from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to other projects making the mega initiative’s initiative uncertain.

Earlier, Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani directed the treasury to constitute a three-member committee to probe Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Sahibzada Sanaullah’s allegation of wrongdoing against the assistant commissioner of Upper Dir.

The mover through a calling attention notice informed that the AC had demolished around 200 shops in Kalkot tehsil when the residents refused to pay the sought-after bribe.

He said walnut trees were also cut down on the directives of the AC causing resentment among the people.

Law minister Sultan Mohammad Khan said a committee consisting of the mover, an MPA and a senior official would probe the matter.

Responding to another calling attention notice moved by ANP MPA Khushdil Khan advocate regarding vacant posts in a D-type hospital in Badhabar (Peshawar), the minister said a departmental inquiry into the matter was in progress.

He said the post of the medical superintendent would be filled immediately, while the remaining seven vacancies would be filled very soon.

The MPA said the hospital constructed at a cost of Rs880 million had become a ghost building.

The law minister later introduced the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2019, in the House. The chair adjourned the sitting until 2pm on Friday.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2019