ISLAMABAD: Former federal finance minister Asad Umar on Monday expressed strong concerns about the current government, the national budget, and the country’s political situation, stating that Pakistan is currently stuck in a dangerous political quagmire. He emphasised that all political parties must come together to devise a way out.
Speaking to the media, he said that the PML-N’s claim that they sacrificed politics to save the state is baseless, adding that the state was already strong. He said the PML-N needs to reassess and reform its political approach.
Criticizsing the government’s handling of the economy, he said that the current budget gives the impression that there are two different Pakistans: over Rs. 1,500 billion has been collected from salaried individuals, while only Rs. 100 million has been collected from the trader class.
The former finance minister also strongly criticised the proposed Rs. 90 per liter tax on petroleum products and the new carbon levy, claiming that to make the budget deficit appear smaller, Rs. 1,450 billion was taken from the public and deposited in banks which he described as a deception against the people.
Referring to the economic performance of the previous PTI government, he stated that 5.4 million jobs were created during their first three years in office.
On regional issues, he said that Pakistan is located in a dangerous region where India still harbors aggressive intentions. He praised Pakistan’s armed forces for always responding firmly to India’s provocations.
Condemning Israel’s attack on Iran, he stated that the entire Muslim Ummah’s prayers are with Iran.
In conclusion, he urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to rise above personal interests and take practical steps to steer the country out of its political crisis.
Earlier, Former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry lashed out at the current government, judiciary, and provincial administrations, stating that the Prime Minister lacked credibility to provide relief when he himself “doesn’t even have clothes on his back.”
Speaking to the media outside the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), he criticised what he described as unchecked and unaccountable governance.
Fawad accused former prime minister Nawaz Sharif of using the official prime ministerial aircraft like a “private taxi” to travel to London.
He further condemned recent salary hikes for the National Assembly Speaker and Senate Chairman. He questioned how a provincial chief minister could be allocated an Air Force jet simply for medical treatment in Geneva.
The politician also raised concerns over the judicial process in politically motivated cases, particularly referencing the ongoing trials in Faisalabad. “It would be better to shift these cases to military courts,” he remarked, adding that his own petition remained pending in the High Court while unprecedented methods of prosecution continue. He decried the limited access given to former prime minister Imran Khan’s lawyers and family at Adiala Jail and claimed that such non-transparent trials did not take place even during the harshest martial law regimes. “Even in the 15th and 16th centuries, monarchs used to conduct such biased trials against opponents,” he said.
Fawad stated the judicial system is collapsing and the country is operating in darkness, questioning how long this situation can last. He urged for political stability through dialogue and forming an opposition alliance but claimed that there is no interest from the ruling side.
Highlighting alleged financial mismanagement in Punjab, he criticised the provincial government for spending Rs. 30 billion over three days of Eid on sanitation, despite an annual budget of only Rs. 13 billion for cleanliness. “Funds are being spent in a way that no one has any accountability,” he concluded. –Agencies
