Islamabad, October 26, 2021: Expressing her concerns on the record-breaking inflation in Pakistan, Vice President PPP, Senator Sherry Rehman said, “It comes as no surprise that the government has broken a 70-year record of inflation over the past 3 years. Prices of staple food items like poultry, sugar, ghee and flour have broken all past records while the government has given no explanations and nor has it shared any exit strategy”.
“Between October 2018 to 2021, petrol prices have increased by 49% while electricity rates have gone up by 57%. Meanwhile, urban food inflation is in double digits for the last two years at least. Prices of ghee, sugar and 20kg bag of flour over the last three years has been increased by 108%, 83% and 52%, respectively. Is this the tabdeeli that was promised?” she questioned.
Rehman said, “Food prices will further go up when the rate of petroleum products will increase. Even though petrol is at Rs137.79, there’s news that petrol prices are expected to further increase by Rs7 from November 1. On the other hand, rupee is at an all-time low as the US dollar has hit a rate of Rs175 at the interbank but governor state bank is telling us that a weaker rupee results in higher remittances”.
“After all the bulldozing of bills, it is unfortunate that Pakistan remains on the FATF grey list and despite the economic mess that they have put Pakistan in, the government seems least interested in fixing pressing issues as it is busy in vile campaigns against opposition members, female journalists or busy in extending PEMRA’s powers who is acting like Pakistan’s vice and virtue police. This Government is attempting to shroud what is left of our once vibrant cultural expression, in a dark veil of insidious rules that will stifle creative pluralism on television,” she added.
PPP Parliamentary Leader in the Senate, Senator Sherry Rehman concluded by saying, “The government is in deep slumber while the opposition and civilians are protesting for change and relief. The government needs to realise that they cannot play the blame game forever as blaming others for inaction to mask their own incompetence is not a policy and now people are getting tired of their theatrics.”
