Responding to the criticism following the latest petrol price hike, Adviser to the Prime Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said that the citizens must change their habits in accordance with the economic challenges facing the country.
During a press conference held by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif in Islamabad, where MNA Asad Mehmood was also present, Kaira said that the nation must unite and change its habits.
He explained that the national treasury had started depleting due to the petrol subsidies being doled out by the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, and therefore the government had to raise prices and cut subsidies. "With a heavy heart, the government had to make an extremely unwanted decision," he said.
He said the government was being questioned by the media and other experts, as to why they weren't making any immediate decisions to stop the depletion of the treasury, and explained that they had tried their best to ease the burden on the masses and cushion the blow of the economic challenges, but were left with no other choice.
“No government wants to become unpopular among the people but what choice do we have?" he asked. "Whether to become Sri Lanka or to make efforts to steer out of this crisis."
Kaira also said that it wasn't just Pakistan that was going through an economic challenge, but rather the entire world's economy was suffering.
The PPP leader also criticized the previous PTI government for their poor policy choices.
He said that those ministers and party leaders who were criticizing the petrol price hikes and predicting prices would rise to Rs 300 were absolutely correct, because they were the ones who had signed those agreements in the first place.
During a press conference held by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif in Islamabad, where MNA Asad Mehmood was also present, Kaira said that the nation must unite and change its habits.
He explained that the national treasury had started depleting due to the petrol subsidies being doled out by the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, and therefore the government had to raise prices and cut subsidies. "With a heavy heart, the government had to make an extremely unwanted decision," he said.
He said the government was being questioned by the media and other experts, as to why they weren't making any immediate decisions to stop the depletion of the treasury, and explained that they had tried their best to ease the burden on the masses and cushion the blow of the economic challenges, but were left with no other choice.
“No government wants to become unpopular among the people but what choice do we have?" he asked. "Whether to become Sri Lanka or to make efforts to steer out of this crisis."
Kaira also said that it wasn't just Pakistan that was going through an economic challenge, but rather the entire world's economy was suffering.
The PPP leader also criticized the previous PTI government for their poor policy choices.
He said that those ministers and party leaders who were criticizing the petrol price hikes and predicting prices would rise to Rs 300 were absolutely correct, because they were the ones who had signed those agreements in the first place.