Imran Khan government's recent relief measures to reduce prices of petrol and electricity are on account of Opposition pressure and public anger, local media said on Wednesday.
The relief measures were announced on Monday by Imran Khan in an address to the nation. The measures include a reduction in the prices of petroleum products and electricity tariff by Rs 10 and Rs 5 respectively along with a number of new schemes including one on tax amnesty.
The Opposition leaders in the country credited their pressure tactics for the relief measures, with Pakistan People's Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari saying that the Prime Minister's decision was a result of PPP's 'long march' and no-trust motion to oust the government.
Calling the measures populist, an editorial in The Dawn said that the measures were only meant to better the electoral chances of the Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf (PTI) government.
Imran Khan has announced yet another tax amnesty to allow those who had not availed a similar scheme for housing and construction previously to launder their illegitimate wealth by investing it in industry, the editorial said.
The measures also come after the Opposition has turned up the heat against the Imran Khan government, with PPP starting its 'long march' against Imran Khan's misgovernance from Karachi on Monday, and the opposition announcing its plan to bring a no-confidence motion to oust the current regime with the help of dissenting PTI lawmakers.
It is clear that the Opposition's cumulative efforts in this direction over the last month have disturbed the ruling party, the newspaper said, adding that the announcement made out of political compulsions underlines the ad hoc and chaotic approach of the ruling party towards Pakistan's economic policy.
The new measures will cost the public exchequer in Pakistan Rs 130 billion. The 'relief package' will be financed from the unspent cash allocated for the Ehsaas programme and the money given by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for combating the Covid-19 pandemic, cuts in development funds, dividend income from state-owned energy companies and taxes.
( With inputs from ANI )
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