Against the backdrop of high inflation across the country, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad's tweeted on Wednesday about tourism booming in Murree has irked social media users for its disconnect to ground realities.

"The increase in tourism reflects prosperity and rise in income of common men in the country," he said.

His tweet was met with backlash against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government and the federal minister. Some expressed it as satire, others with humour and verbal abuse, and some supported the federal minister's stance on "prosperity of common men".

"220 million people travelled to Murree in 0.1 million cars leading to prosperity in the country," a social media user tweeted.

Referring to difficulties in getting payments of Ehsaas programme, a user tweeted: "Common men don't have cars."

Some people agreed with his statement of entering 0.1 million cars in the city, but they had reservations: "That's all fine....but how can it explains the prices of everyday necessities a common man is unable to pay for??""

Inflation in the country has increased by 12.3 per cent on year-on-year basis in December 2021 as compared to an increase of 11.5 per cent in the previous month and 8.0 per cent in December 2020, according to the monthly review of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

The tweet has renewed wounds people are feeling due to inflation as one user tweeted: "How we can afford expenses of travelling to Muree at a time when we are unable to afford livelihood in Karachi.''

In rhyme of words, a user tweeted: "Imran Khan has come with a storm of inflation."

It was also said: "The prosperity of a few does not = the prosperity of the whole society!!"

The social media users also targetted government officers for corruption and then spending the illegally earned money on tourism and asked in which country do the remaining 210.95 million people reside?

Some others accused Fawad of talking about 0.1 million cars in Murree under the influence of drugs, saying the numbers were too high.

People also talked about a general trend of tourism in Murree when the snowfall season comes every year with one of the user tweeted: "dont fool people."

"The vehicles who have entered in Murree are stuck on roads due to heavy snowfall and the government machinery was nowhere to be seen to remove the snow from roads," a user tweeted.

A user shared video of cars stuck on way to Murree for at least one day, saying "The view is spectacular but it has cost us heavily."

Another user tweeted: "He was not expecting non-sense from a politician like Fawad."