• Economic turmoil and lack of jobs have forced 3.2m citizens to leave the country, party leaders say
• Alleges 30m people have fallen below the poverty line over the last three years
• Blames the agriculture sector decline on ‘anti-farmer policies’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf on Monday criticised the government over the economic survey of Pakistan, alleging it reflected a bleak economic picture and the government’s poor performance, which they said pushed 30 million people below the poverty line in the last three years.

At a press conference, the party’s information secretary, Sheikh Waqas Akram, flanked by Leader of the Opposition Omar Ayub Khan, said the finance minister presented the survey “in an apologetic manner.”

“Those who used to criticise 6.5pc growth rate during the PTI’s tenure were trying to defend their performance, which was worst,” Mr Akram said.

Mr Akram said that while President Asif Zardari had promised to address the masses’ issues, poverty has instead increased. He claimed the total economic growth during the last three years was just 1.5pc.

He said people have moved to solar energy because they cannot afford to pay electricity bills. “Inflation is still 11.5pc, but the government claims it is decreasing,” he said, questioning why the finance minister did not begin the survey presentation with inflation figures.

Mr Khan asserted that, by contrast, the PTI government “had brought the energy sector under control.”

Focusing on agriculture, Mr Akram said the sector declined by 13pc while the government claimed livestock grew by 40pc. “How was it possible?” he asked, suggesting the decline resulted from “anti-farmer policies” as there were no major natural disasters.

“Thirty-seven percent of the population was dependent on agriculture and was suffering,” Mr Akram said, adding that the government’s claim of growth in small industries was “a pack of lies.”

Mr Khan said the growth rate was lower than in 1992. “Growth of all crops was negative, but the donkey population has increased,” he said.

The opposition leader also said that the purchasing power of Rs50,000 in March 2022 has plummeted to just Rs20,833 today. Citing the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, he said the price of tea has increased by 74pc.

Both leaders highlighted emigration as a major concern.

“People were leaving Pakistan because of the economic issues,” Mr Akram alleged, claiming that more people will leave in the near future.

Mr Khan said 3.2m people have left the country in recent years, worried about inflation, purchasing power and jobs. He claimed government lawmakers “were not able to face the masses” in their constituencies.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2025