Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, the Convener of the Awam Pakistan Party and former prime minister, recently criticized government decisions. He questioned the link between road development in Balochistan and savings from petroleum. Abbasi asked if roads will not be built in Balochistan without these savings, highlighting the absurdity of the decision.
During a press conference in Islamabad, Abbasi spoke out against two key issues: the struggles facing farmers and the lack of relief on fuel prices. He pointed out that farmers across Pakistan are protesting due to severe hardships. According to him, when farmers suffer, everyone feels the impact, especially since they grow essential crops like wheat.
Abbasi revealed that farmers faced setbacks in 2023 and would not receive the promised price of Rs4,000 for their wheat in 2024. They are now selling wheat for as low as Rs2,100, even though production costs average around Rs3,000 per 40kg. He stressed that without improving farmers’ incomes, other economic sectors, like tractors and motorcycles, would also be negatively affected.
In the latter part of the press conference, Abbasi criticized the government’s failure to pass on savings from reduced global oil prices. He claimed there was potential for a Rs10 decrease in fuel prices, yet consumers received no relief. He concluded that positive government decisions are crucial for national progress, but the current administration continues to miss these opportunities.