By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser sharply criticized the government’s handling of the economy, describing current policies as a “complete failure” and alleging that corruption had reached unprecedented levels under the present administration.
Speaking at a public event in Swabi on Tuesday, Qaiser cited estimates from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) suggesting that Pakistan had lost around Rs5,300 billion to corrupt practices over the past three years.
Qaiser urged the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to conduct an independent and thorough investigation into what he described as widespread financial misconduct, warning that the scale of alleged corruption had eroded public confidence in the government. He argued that ordinary citizens were bearing the brunt of policy failures, pointing to a reported rise in unemployment to 7.1%, which, he said, had left many struggling to meet basic needs.
Turning to recent political developments, Qaiser alleged serious irregularities in the by-election held in Haripur, claiming that the results did not reflect the true will of the voters. He suggested that electoral manipulation had undermined the democratic mandate and called for reforms to ensure transparency in future elections.
Analysts noted that Qaiser’s remarks reflected growing frustration among opposition leaders over the country’s economic challenges and governance issues, as well as a broader public concern over rising living costs and unemployment. Officials from the ruling administration did not immediately respond to the allegations.
