Govt unable to deliver on pandemic, alleviating poverty: Pakistani politician

KARACHI, Jun 21, 2020, Pakistan Today. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has been unable to deliver on the coronavirus pandemic in addition to alleviating poverty and ensuring food security, Pakistan Today reported.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Bilawal said, “I think this pandemic is one of Pakistan’s greatest challenges, which is why it is so unfortunate that PTI’s government does not prioritise the social welfare and protection of the people.”

“Our working class needs support, our middle class needs support, our poor needs support.”

The statement comes as the federal government announced its “relief” budget; free of new taxes but failed to increase the salaries and pensions of in-service and retired civil servants. The lead was followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab governments where the party is in power. However, the Sindh government, in its budget, announced a 10 per cent increment in pensions and salaries.

Commending his party’s performance in preparing the budget, Bilawal said that Sindh’s budget goes “one step ahead” in alleviating poverty during a difficult time.

“Our poverty alleviation programme will continue. Our agricultural sector budget will provide loans to farmers and small businesses. These kind of support projects are important to alleviate poverty in the province.

“Our hope was that the federal budget would be a pandemic budget. And if it was a pandemic budget, all the political parties would’ve endorsed it similar to how during a war, all the political parties unite to protect their country,” Bilawal said.