Dawn
-
16:04 May 04, 2026
ISLAMABAD: PTI accused the government on Monday of driving Pakistan into an “unprecedented economic and governance crisis” that has “crushed the common man”. In a statement, PTI’s Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram stated that the “stability” claimed by the government was nothing but a “cruel joke on 250 million Pakistanis”. Akram said that after four years of no reforms, inflation had returned sharply, with the Consumer Price Index rising 11 per cent year-on-year and the Sensitive Price Indicator increasing 15pc. He added that fuel and electricity prices had surged significantly, with petrol and diesel nearing Rs400 per litre and power tariffs reaching Rs60–80 per unit, while food costs, including flour and roti, had also risen markedly across the country. He further slammed the Punjab government’s ban on inter-provincial wheat movement, calling it a blatant violation of Article 151 of the Constitution. “A Form-47 chief minister who herself sits on an illegitimate seat has no regard for the federation....