People crushed as imported experts don’t know local problems: Bilawal

LAHORE: Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said while politics can work on rhetoric and statements, taking the reality into consideration is inevitable and the common Pakistanis’ economy has been compromised. They are suffering because of the incompetence of the government.

He was addressing a seminar on Current Economic Crisis and its Solutions organized by the PPP Punjab here on Monday. Dr Hafeez Pasha, Shahid Kardar, Kaiser Bangali and Dr Qais Aslam also spoke, while Aitzaz Ahsan, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Ch Manzoor Ahmad, Nafeesa Shah, Syed Hasan Murtaza, Malik Usman, Aslam Gill, Naveed Ch and other party leaders were present on the occasion.

Bilawal said the workers and office-bearers of the Pakistan Peoples Party participated in elections, not only against the PTI but also against the PML-N, and the PPP had a stance in the 2018 elections that “we are heading towards an economic disaster”. “We identified that the economic situation was difficult and the situation of the economy was not how the PML-N representatives portrayed it to be.” The PTI government has made the economy drastically worse in the last 16 months. “You can ask the common man, vendors, farmers or workers how they are living these days.

He said: “I believe that for any economy, confusion is the most menacing factor that tends to disrupt processes. When your government and politicians are confused, they cannot convey their plans with clarity, then that is a disadvantage for the whole community. Before going to the IMF, Imran Khan and his cabinet had decided not to go to the IMF, and instead of presenting their plan in front of the IMF, they relied more on Pakistan's foreign friends and allies. The money that was therefore taken and its advantage that was assumed did not benefit as much. Then the government took it upon itself to introduce stabilization measures such as devaluation and an increase in interest rates which were disastrous for everyone, from the common man to people from every strata of the society.”

He said: “We have no vehicle that can save the economy from the disastrous impacts. There is a difference in the approach between that of the PPP and other parties, which is that we believe that this burden should be shared with those who are able to tolerate and withstand it. We will not allow negotiations with the IMF, done by the IMF employees. I believe we can give an answer to them and portray a realistic image that is beneficial for the people of Pakistan. We will have to have revenue, otherwise, how is the state going to run? From 2010-2011, the sales tax collection of the federal government was of Rs 14 billion from the province of Sindh. Then in 2011-2012, when the Sindh province collected sales tax for itself, it was Rs 25 billion which is a 79 per cent increase in one year, and our average increase from FBR is 22 per cent and with the exception of one year, we have met each one of our tax targets. Our tax collection in Sindh is 22 per cent while it is 10 per cent in the FBR.”

The PPP chairman said the people of Pakistan are crushed as the imported economic experts don’t know local problems. “When wesay that we will achieve our aims, we are not talking in rhetoric and we do not lie, we will show what we are capable of. We will have to focus on the economic injustice that is happening right now.”

He said: “The kind of fruits that we have in Pakistan, I believe that you cannot find ones of such quality in the whole world, Pakistan's mango can compete with those of the world. You might not know that before the PPP government, the western countries such as the UK and the US along with the continent of Europe were not able to buy mangoes from Pakistan. You have to earn and fight for your space, and in the PPP government, introduction of the GSP plus gave Pakistan access to Europe. We have to protect benefits of this. Unfortunately, the previous and current governments have failed to do so. We are facing difficulties in trade with Iran and we cannot trade with India. Then when we trade with China, we turn a blind eye and sign free trade agreements.”

He said: “InshaAllah, with your help, we can strategically, logically and practically approach the economic problems and solve them to stabilize the country.” Bilawal also attended the Walima ceremony of Ali Qasim Gilani, son of former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani.