The head of the opposition to the Punjab assembly, Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, accused the federal and provincial governments led by the Muslim League of Pakistan-Nawaz (PML-N) of retreating people with high taxation, to misunderstand the fuel price and to politicize the recent Swat tourist tragedy.
Speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday, Bhachar denounced the rise of the day after the federal government at the prices of gasoline and diesel, calling “ironic” in the context of a decrease in global oil. He said the imposition of more than RS100 per liter in petroleum products would have a direct and disproportionate impact on farmers and low -income households.
“Only a few days after presenting the budget with repair promises, the government has increased fuel taxes,” he said. “Meanwhile, farmers were completely ignored.”
Bhachar also accused the chief minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, of having deceived the public by saying that the provincial budget was free of tax. “In reality, even small houses with two brands have been taxed,” he said.
Turning to the recent death of tourists in Swat, the opposition chief accused the Punjab government of politicizing tragedy. He said that instead of pointing the finger, the provincial administration should think about its own shortcomings.
“While the nation mourns the loss of lives to Swat, who will respond to the 23 children who died due to oxygen shortages in Pakpattan, or the 20 newborns who died during deliveries in a single week?” He asked.
He condemned the indicated closure of 1,132 basic health centers through Punjab, which, according to him, would affect around 130,000 employees – many with decades of service. “These individuals deserve an explanation,” he said, adding that the provincial government had not yet published a public declaration on the death of the child or the reduction in health care staff.
Commenting on the suspension of the opposition legislators, Bhachar alleged that the decision was a tactic to adopt legislation without dissent. “The Assembly’s requisition authority has been stripped of us,” he said. “We have already called him a false assembly. Our leader, Imran Khan, congratulated the legislators who resisted and protested against figures like Maryam Nawaz.”
Meanwhile, the management of Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) announced preparations for a protest campaign on the province’s scale against what it described as “inhuman treatment” of the former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
“Faced with this oppression and this injustice, the protest is now our only remaining option,” the leaders said in a statement. The planned demonstration follows the directives of the chief boss Imran Khan to resist what the party calls continuous violations of the constitutional and legal order.
