ISLAMABAD:
Leaders of the Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) on Thursday accused the government of misleading the public about the country’s economic situation, alleging manipulation of growth data, underestimation of trade deficits and a deterioration in the business climate that pushed major international companies to leave Pakistan.
Addressing a press conference in the federal capital, former Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair said the ruling elite had misled the nation by presenting an overly optimistic picture of the economy.
“We are just presenting the truth about the economy,” he said.
“The government and the elite tell you something else. There is a feeling that the Prime Minister’s visits to Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and China have brought unprecedented prosperity.”
Zubair claimed that from 2022 to 2026, Pakistan would witness the lowest growth rate in its history, rejecting official claims of GDP growth of 5.7 percent. “These figures are false. This government has become a nightmare for the people,” he said.
“The investments made over the last two years are the lowest in the last 70 years in the country.”
Zubair said the government had underestimated imports by $11 billion and had not responded to the IMF regarding the discrepancies.
“This means that trade and current account deficits were deliberately underestimated,” Zubair said, calling for accountability.
“[The government] should be ashamed [of itself.]. If it was the previous government, they would have been asked to resign.”
Speaking on the occasion, former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra said the government’s claims about economic stability were a “pack of lies”.
He pointed out that large multinationals had left Pakistan, describing this as a devastating blow to investor confidence. “These were among the largest companies in the world. Their exit reflects [government’s] “It’s a policy failure,” he said, adding that there was also no significant investment in the auto sector. “People are suffering, but there is no relief.”
