Oppression will end when nation rejects subjugation, says PTI’s Salman Raja

KARACHI:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central General Secretary Salman Akram Raja said that “the day the nation decides that it will no longer accept a life of subjugation, this oppression will automatically end.”

He made the remarks while addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club alongside former Sindh Governor Mohammad Zubair, economic spokesperson of Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aain Pakistan and other party leaders, where they expressed deep concern over the deteriorating economic and political situation in the country.

Mohammad Zubair said the government’s claims about economic stability were contradicted by its own official reports, which show a sharp decline in living standards and a rapid increase in poverty.

According to government surveys, 80 percent of citizens have experienced a deterioration in their quality of life, while a similar proportion have reduced their food spending due to inflation. He added that the urban middle class has been hit hardest, with 23 percent of the urban population experiencing a decline in income and living standards.

Questioning the government’s performance, Zubair said, “When people’s lives have deteriorated in the last four years, the question must be asked: What exactly has the government achieved?”

He criticized the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), saying it had failed to attract investments and that overall investments had fallen by 50 percent, calling it proof of the institution’s failure.

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Zubair further revealed that 30 million people had fallen below the poverty line in the last three years. He said foreign investments from the United States and the Middle East were not available due to lack of rule of law, adding that even Pakistani investors were now demanding the right to international arbitration before investing.

Holding Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif primarily responsible for the economic slowdown, Zubair recalled that the prime minister had promised to turn around the economy within six months – a commitment he said had not been kept.

He also highlighted the decline in foreign exchange reserves, noting that reserves stood at more than $17 billion at the time of the no-confidence motion, but fell to $2.9 billion in January 2023. He said the threat of default in June 2023 arose after the IMF program was damaged.

On corruption, Zubair sought clarification on NAB’s claims that it had recovered Rs5.3 trillion, asking from whom this money was recovered and who was punished. He highlighted major scandals including the 300 billion rupee wheat scandal, the 300 billion rupee sugar scandal, and admitted annual losses of 300 billion rupiah due to oil smuggling, as admitted by the Oil Minister.

Addressing the policy restrictions, Salman Akram Raja said that despite issuing a NOC for a public gathering, police cordoned off the area, made arrests and harassed stage and sound suppliers. “Despite all this, the rally will take place,” he said.

He said the PTI supported the privatization of PIA in principle, but warned that there are serious concerns about transparency and workers’ rights, and that exploitation in the name of privatization would not be tolerated.

Raja further said that those responsible for the destruction of state institutions and those involved in corruption must be held accountable. He lamented that the courts and parliament had become mere facades and that the country had effectively turned into a “prison”.

He said Article 15 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of movement to every citizen, was violated, stressing that the fight for public rights and freedoms had become inevitable.

“The day the nation decides that it will no longer accept a life of subjugation,” he concluded, “this oppression will end of itself.”