PML-N slams Imran Khan govt for rising inflation in Pakistan

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Wednesday lashed out at the Imran Khan-led government for the rising inflation in the country and reiterated that the party will not let the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) pass the 'anti-people budget' in the National Assembly.

In a press conference, PML-N leader and former finance minister Miftah Ismail said that his party cannot accept the 'anti-people budget' being promulgated by the PTI, reported The News International.

"We expect that this will be an anti-people budget and we will not approve it [in the assembly]," said Ismail as he made his party's position clear on the issue.

Highlighting that the rate of inflation has not come down below 10 per cent in the last two years, Ismail alleged that the assets of Imran Khan and his cabinet members have increased. "In three years, the income of those working in the private sector has not increased," he said.

He also compared the incumbent government's tenure with his party's tenure, adding that the PTI had pushed 20 million people into a state of destitution, The News International reported.

"Eighty-five million Pakistanis are unemployed right now...the salary of 75 million people is less than Rs 18,000. Pakistanis will not survive with some food banks," said Ismail.

Earlier, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Prime Minister Imran Khan intends to push the country's burden onto its low-income class group in the upcoming 2021 budget.

"The PTI government intends to put an economic burden on the low-income class," said the PPP chairperson adding that the PPP will defend the public against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) propaganda to crush them economically in the budget.

Pakistan's inflation remained in double digits for the second successive month due to an increase in energy, food prices and stood at 10.9 per cent in May.

The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Tuesday that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose to 10.9 per cent in May over the same month a year ago. The 10.9 per cent inflation rate is higher than up to 9.8 per cent projection given by the Ministry of Finance last week, reported The Express Tribune.

( With inputs from ANI )