Former finance minister Miftah Ismail has announced the launch of ‘Awaam Pakistan Party’ on July 6, as he expresses his resolve to come up to people’s expectations.

“Awaam Pakistan inauguration will take place on Saturday the 6th of July at 2:00 pm in Islamabad,” Ismail said in a social media post on Monday.

Separately, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi at a press conference in Islamabad slammed the federal budget, alleging that it further gave concessions to the vested interest groups. He said the government should have first reduced its own expenditures.

“What kind of government are we running? Our thinking is that we will not reduce our own expenses but continue to burden the public,” he said and claimed that the budget was the worst in Pakistan’s history and would prove to be “disastrous” for the public and the national economy.

The entire burden has been placed on the salaried class, with taxes imposed on milk, children’s food, and medical equipment, he said. …*