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The PTI’s defeat in the Daska by-election should be a wake-up call for the ruling party. The incumbent government must revisit its policies to gain back the trust of people. During the 2018 elections, a majority of people voted for the PTI because they hoped to see a country where they would have easy access to the basic necessities of life. More than two years have passed, and the party hasn’t delivered on its promises. During his election campaigns, Imran Khan repeated his claims that he had a team of brilliant people who will change the destiny of the nation. After coming into power, the PTI couldn’t tackle the major challenges that the country was facing. Within days, the Pakistani rupee had a sharp decline. Following a steep rise in dollar, the prices of almost every essential commodity increased. The country had to ask for help from friendly countries to improve monetary matters. Later, the country approached the IMF. Unfortunately, even after all these measures, people didn’t get any relief. In the 2020-2021 budget, the government didn’t increase the salaries of government employees.

The government also failed to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. Last year, the countrywide lockdown resulted in the loss of jobs. Although people tried to talk about their financial challenges, the authorities kept ignoring them. In order to become popular among people, the government must reduce gas and power tariffs; decrease the prices of petroleum products; create job opportunities; increase the salaries of government employees; and support business activities in the country.

Muhammad Fayyaz Nawrha

Mianwali