Lahore:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) brutally criticized the Punjab government decision to allocate 730 million rupees to buy balls, calling it as a symbol of extravagant expenses in the midst of the worsening of economic conditions for the general public.
In a press release, PTI Punjab’s media cell chief Shayan Bashir condemned this decision as “a blatant demonstration of anti-peuples governance”. He said that the government’s priorities are ill -aligned by the needs of the population, which face criticism of flour, electricity and affordable medicine.
Bashir pointed out that more than 35 million people in Punjab live below the poverty line and that a 15% tax on drugs has further limited access to health care.
He highlighted the alarmed maternal mortality rates – 165 deaths per 100,000 births, as well as the cost increase in the agricultural sector, farmers with a 25% increase in fertilizer prices, higher water bills and mediocre yields on wheat.
Find out more: PTI will not reconte the disqualified seats: IMRAN
“Unemployment has gone through 7.5%, but the government continues to spend sumptuously over itself instead of meeting the basic needs of people,” said Bashir, adding that many communities still lack drinking water and sufficient food.
He also recalled an earlier approval of 7.5 billion rupees for luxury vehicle purchases, alleging a continuous lack of transparency from the Punjab finance department. On July 7, Bashir submitted an official request for files related to the purchase and use of vehicles. In its response, the ministry refused responsibility and referred the case to other government organizations.
“This response reflects a dangerous administrative incompetence or a deeply rooted corruption scandal,” he said. He accused the ministry of having violated the law of 2017 on the right of access to information, which obliges public institutions to disclose this information.
Bashir also criticized the chief minister Maryam Nawaz, accusing his administration of masking systemic corruption with a populist rhetoric. “This is undeniable proof of administrative dishonesty,” he said. He swore that the PTI Punjab would continue the legal and constitutional avenues, as well as the public protest, to challenge what he called “operating governance”.
