ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders on Saturday demanded that Prime Minister Imran Khan resigns from his position, as they believed that the country and the PM couldn’t co-exist.
Speaking to the media outside the Parliament House after the National Assembly session, former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that today petrol should have been around Rs 67 per litre. He said at a time when economy and business was suffering in the country, petroleum prices have gone beyond the buying power of the common man which will affect every sector of the country. He said the government could not grow the economy and feared that a price-hike will continue as the government has failed in tax collection and strengthening the economy.
He said a new failure has been added in the list of present government’s failures after the government raised the petroleum prices. To a question, he said that the opposition party would not become part of any unconstitutional step to topple the government.
Speaking on the occasion, Khawaja Asif said that PM had been criticising the previous government for raising petroleum prices and has now done the same thing itself.
He believed that the wave would continue, the ‘storm’ unleashed by the government would not stem and will affect agriculture and other sectors as well. He said Imran Khan and Pakistan cannot co-exist and if he continued with is policies, the country would reach at a point of no-return.
He said the PTI leader has been using public institutions for personal satisfaction. He demanded of the Prime Minister to admit his failures over the past two years and tender his resignation.
“PTI may choose its new leader so that the nation could get rid of this person,” he demanded. He termed the price-hike a dacoity on the purse of the masses and added the opposition party would not tolerate the ‘undue burden’. He said the opposition party in consultation with other opposition parties would devise a future course of action in the coming days.
Speaking on the occasion, Ahsan Iqbal said that 34 percent increase in the petroleum prices was unprecedented which will break the backbone of the economy. He said the decision will disturb the budget of a home, factory and country’s economy. He said the government has desecrated the parliament as it, amidst debate on budget in the parliament, increased petroleum prices through backdoor channel.
“The effect will pass on to the consumers,” he said. The government has given jackpot to the mafias who stocked petrol, through raising price of petroleum products. He believed the PTI government was acting in connivance with mafias.
“It’s a criminal offence,” he said and demanded the government to immediately withdraw the hike in petroleum prices. He asked the PM to retire hurt and leave the crease if he was unable to perform.