ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has rejected the Economic Survey 2024-25, calling it misleading and detached from the real challenges facing the country.
At a press conference, PTI leaders criticised the government for failing to manage the economy and claimed the report hides growing poverty, joblessness, and public suffering.
They alleged that nearly 30 million people have fallen below the poverty line in the last three years.
Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram and Leader of the Opposition Omar Ayub Khan said the finance minister delivered the survey in an “apologetic” tone, revealing a lack of confidence in the government’s own performance.
They pointed out that the government previously criticised PTI’s 6.5% growth rate but has now failed to deliver any meaningful progress.
Agriculture, Inflation Under Fire
Sheikh Waqas Akram claimed the agriculture sector had declined by 13%, despite government claims of growth in livestock.
He accused the government of adopting “anti-farmer policies,” worsening the economic burden on nearly 37% of the population reliant on agriculture.
He questioned the reliability of government figures, pointing out that while crop yields declined, the survey boasted about livestock increases.
The PTI leader also noted that people are switching to solar energy due to skyrocketing electricity bills.
He argued that inflation is still high at 11.5%, despite government claims of improvement, and questioned why inflation was not addressed first in the finance minister’s speech.
Emigration and Purchasing Power Crisis
Omar Ayub Khan said that economic desperation has forced over 3.2 million Pakistanis to leave the country in recent years.
He stated that the purchasing power of Rs50,000 in 2022 has now shrunk to just Rs20,833, citing the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
Prices of daily commodities like tea have risen by 74%, he noted, adding that the public can no longer bear the cost of living.
He also ridiculed the survey, saying crop output had declined but “the donkey population had increased.”
PTI leaders warned that more citizens may leave Pakistan unless economic conditions improve urgently.
