In a rare public exchange, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar clashed with former PML-N leaders Miftah Ismail and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Monday over Pakistan’s tax-heavy Budget 2024-25. Addressing a joint press conference, Ismail and Abbasi criticized the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led government, labeling the budget as detrimental rather than beneficial.
Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who resigned from his PML-N position last year, lambasted the government for its lack of a reform agenda in the budget. He emphasized the necessity of collecting taxes from powerful segments and denounced the misappropriation of funds by ruling coalition parties.
Miftah Ismail, who announced the launch of the Awaam Pakistan party, pointed out flaws in the budget, questioning its impact on the middle class and the economy. He criticized the government’s handling of expenditures and alleged misallocation of funds, questioning whether IMF directives justified such fiscal policies.
Abbasi further highlighted Pakistan’s high electricity and gas tariffs, which he argued deter foreign investments and hinder economic growth. He called for privatizing power distribution companies and cutting government expenses to alleviate the country’s economic crisis.
In response, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar defended the government’s economic policies, refuting allegations of fiscal mismanagement and defending the reduction of inflation from 38% to 11% over the past year. He dismissed claims of excessive allocations to parliamentarians and emphasized austerity measures undertaken by the government.
The verbal spat underscores growing political tensions over economic policies in Pakistan, with former PML-N leaders accusing the current administration of burdening the populace with heavy taxes and inadequate economic reforms. The government, on its part, maintains that its fiscal strategies are necessary to stabilize the economy and meet international financial obligations.
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