In a bid to give final touches to the no-confidence motion against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, the Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari, Thursday, called on the head of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

During the meeting, the former president and the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI) chief discussed political matters especially, the opposition’s bid to expedite move against the government led by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

The meeting discussed contacts with political groups including government allies in a bid for an in-house change in the National Assembly, measures needed for setting agenda of an effective anti-government move, and matters relating to bringing the PPP close to the PDM.

The meeting came in the backdrop of another behind the door meeting of opposition leaders for the success of their no-trust move when Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) President and Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif had met estranged PTI leader Jahangir Tareen a week ago.

No-trust motion now only way to oust govt, says Shehbaz

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday that no-confidence motion is the only way whereby the citizens can get relief from the current ‘corrupt gang’.

In a statement, he said that increase in the prices of ghee and cooking oil by Rs23 and Rs24 per kilogram, respectively, and 16.37 percent hike in the prices of LPG and gas had neutralized whatever relief Rs10 per litre cut in petrol price had given to citizens.

He said the people of the country will have to bear the burden of these ‘false packages’ provided by the government. “If the government is really serious in providing relief to the people, it should withdraw over Rs4 per unit hike in electricity tariff,” he said, adding: “It was feared that the people might have to pay for whatever relief they had been given by the government recently in the shape of more inflation in days to come.”

Shehbaz said the prices of wheat, flour, electricity and sugar registered 100 percent increase during the last three years of the present government. “This is a record-breaking increase in inflation,” he opined.

He expressed the hope that the no-trust motion the opposition parties planned to bring against the government in the National Assembly would provide a real relief to the inflation-hit people. “On one side, there are people whose lives have become miserable because of massive price hike, while on the other there are ‘corrupt’ rulers,” he said.

The PML-N leader said the country’s trade deficit now stood at 82 per cent, while circular debts had jumped by 114 per cent. He asked as to who would compensate for $32 billion trade deficit which had been on the rise for the last eight months and had ruined the country’s economy. “Will the masses again be made to pay for the colossal trade loss,” he questioned.

Imports had doubled under the PTI government while the government had provided a safe haven to the holders of black money, he alleged.

This story was first published in Business Recorder on March 4, 2022.