The Nizam-e-Mustafa Party, raising alarm over the rising cost of living, has said that escalating transport fares and food prices have pushed over 13 crore people below the poverty line, starkly contradicting government claims of providing public relief.
In a joint statement, party leaders today attributed the price hikes to the recent exorbitant increase in petroleum products, the imposition of fixed charges on electricity, and rising gas prices.
The statement was issued by the party’s Chairman and former Federal Minister for Labour, Manpower, and Overseas Pakistanis, Dr. Haji Muhammad Hanif Tayyab, along with office-bearers Professor Abdul Jabbar Qureshi, Shabbir Ahmed Qazi, Pirzada Ghulam Hussain Chishti, Tajuddin Siddiqui, and Abdul Qadeer Sharif.
The leaders maintained that the ground realities are contrary to official assurances, with the poverty rate having increased by 44 percent. They pointed out that due to illegal profiteering, essential commodities are not available at official rates, citing that milk is being sold for an additional 20 to 30 rupees and ghee and oil for an extra 100 to 150 rupees.
Furthermore, they claimed that public transporters have unilaterally increased fares by 65 percent, while the prices of vegetables, pulses, and meat have gone beyond the purchasing power of the common citizen. The party questioned the effectiveness of price control committees, which they said are confined only to official announcements.
Warning of the public’s dwindling patience and rising anger due to inflation and financial hardships, the Nizam-e-Mustafa Party leadership has appealed to the federal government to take immediate measures to control inflation and provide genuine relief to the people.