Pakistan: Citizens slam Sharif govt for raging inflation; share financial woes on Twitter

Growing impatient with the prolonged economic crisis, citizens in Pakistan have now taken to social media to share their financial woes. Reeling under a severe cash crunch, a Pakistani resident named Rabia on Sunday broke down while narrating the grim situation in her household. She called out Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz for failing to meet their due responsibilities for providing some respite to the people in the country.

In a video that went massively viral last weekend, a housewife and mother of two, Rabia Faiq, explicitly outlined the financial crisis she is facing amid the growing economic freefall. A resident of Karachi, Rabia began her video by revealing that one of her two children suffers from epilepsy. Barely holding back her tear, Rabia stated that with the skyrocketing inflation she is hardly being able to make ends meet for herself and her children. "I live in a rented apartment which costs me PKR 20,000 monthly," she said.

'Should I stop feeding my children?'

Holding a grocery bill in her hand, Rabia in despair, stated that she paid a fortune for the supplies even though they did not include essentials like flour, sugar, or ghee. "Should I stop feeding my children and end their lives," she questioned, lashing out at the Sharif government.

Speaking of other expenses, Rabia noted that she was handed a PKR 15,000 electricity bill even when Karachi was grappling with hours-long blackouts lasting for days. "What should I do? Whether I pay house rent, hefty electricity bills, or buy medicines for my kids," she asked, chastising the Sharif government.

Rabia further called the PML-N government "incompetent and corrupt" alleging that Sharif and his Cabinet have "killed poor people." In a subsequent video, Rabia praised former Pakistan PM Imran Khan, saying that he was a "true" leader. She went on and added, "Khan was neither accepting bribes nor allowing anyone," Rabia said further accusing Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Bajwa of colluding with "thieves."

Pakistanis share financial woes on Twitter

Rabia isn't the only Paksitani citizen to take to social media to express their hardships caused by the spiralling inflation in the country. Several others commented on her post to call out the Shehbaz Sharif-led government. 'I totally support you," a user wrote, while another questioned why they should pay such high bills if they do not have electricity for even five hours. 

Pakistan economic crisis

As the economy further collapsed to a critical level, Pakistan is currently looking at bankruptcy. Despite bailout package negotiations with International Monetary Fund (IMF) worth $6 billion, Islamabad is nowhere near making a positive turn after PKR made a "free fall"  touching 212 against the US dollar last June.

The long-standing structural issues were further escalated by the foreign exchange deficit, which on Monday reportedly was $17.4 billion. The enormous gap in shrinking foreign investment and depleting reserves stoked rapid inflation in Pakistan since the political shift from the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf government to the Sharif-led PML-N coalition. As people continued to suffer, Pakistan Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, last Friday, warned that the country is edging further towards "bad days," blaming the erstwhile regime, PTI reported. He lamented, "even though we are on the right track, we might see bad days ahead."

(Image: @MianShehbazSharif/Facebook/Shutterstock)