Pakistan PM Imran accused of 'destroying' economy, selling watch gifted by Saudi prince

Under fire for Pakistan's economic crisis and rising fuel prices, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday drew the latest criticism from the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman who accused him of 'destroying' the nation through his unrealistic promises. Hitting out at Khan at an anti-government rally in Faisalabad, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that he had never seen such a 'greedy and stupid' person in his life. Moreover, he also accused him of selling an expensive watch given by Saudi crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud as a gift.

"PM Imran made 'false and unrealistic' promises of giving 10 million jobs. Instead, he destroyed the country's economy and rendered millions jobless," said Rehman. 

His thoughts were echoed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N's) Vice president Maryam Nawaz who slammed the PTI government for steering the country from the COVID-19 crisis towards dengue. "The entire world is facing coronavirus, but now because of their [government's] incompetence, people are dying of dengue," Maryam Nawaz said during the rally. 

"During Nawaz Sharif's Prime Ministership, sugar was Rs 50 per kg, and now after three years, it had crossed Rs 120 per kg while electricity prices had shot up from Rs 10-11 per unit to Rs 25 per unit," Maryam was quoted as saying by Dawn.

Fuel prices in Pak cross an all-time high

The Opposition has been unsparing in its comments against Imran Khan given the unprecedented rise in fuel prices in the country. The petrol in Islamabad has reached an all-time high of Rs 137.79 per litre, while the price for diesel stands at Rs 134.48. Even prices of kerosene and light diesel oil (LDO) have increased drastically by Rs 10.95 and Rs 8.84 per litre respectively. 

Earlier, Pakistan’s Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) President Shabaz Sharif had lambasted Prime Minister Imran Khan labelling the fuel price hike as ‘utterly shameful’. He argued that the expensive fuel will push people to the brink of starvation, ANI reported, citing Islamabad’s Geo TV.  “No words can describe the cruelty of this selected PTI government that has inflicted on people in the form of yet another increase in prices in terms of items of daily use,” Sharif was quoted as saying. 

(With Agency Inputs)