Karachi: Growing price hike has made miserable the lives of millionsof poor families but the government is not interested to reduceinflation pressure to give them some breathing space, said PasbanDemocratic Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor hereSaturday.
He said the food inflation has broken all previous records. The ratesof wheat flour, rice, sugar, vegetables and other eatables are risingconstantly and going out of the reach of low income people. Tariffs ofgas and electricity and prices of petroleum products are alsoskyrocketing making life even tougher for Pakistanis. The governmentis not interested in resolving this crucial issue, sadly.He said more than half of our budget is being devoured by our externalloans and their interest.
However, the agents of the internationallending institutions in the corridors of powers are bent to take moreloans and further the debt trap around the necks of Pakistanis. Hesaid no country in the world has ever thrived on loans in the historyof world.
He said the loan trap sucks our resources and fuel poverty,hunger and diseases in our country.Altaf Shakoor demanded revival of the ration card system in thecountry and provide basic kitchen items to the low income citizens onration cards at discounted rates.
He asked interest free loans forcitizens to buy solar panels to rid them of costly electricity. Hesaid petrol should be given to motorcyclists on reduced rate to ensuremobility of the low income class.He demanded to revolutionize agricultural sector as only this sectorhas the potential to put the economy of our country on the right trackand fight the growing food inflation in Pakistan.
He said using ourland, river water and rural manpower correctly we can make Pakistanthe grain basket of Asia in a couple of years, but it needs unwaveringattention of the ruling elite.
