Daniyal Aziz slams govt over economic failures & sugar scandal

ISLAMABAD (ABN News): Former Federal Minister Daniyal Aziz, speaking on ABN’s program “Debate@8,” criticized the government for making mere claims about the economy without delivering results.

Daniyal Aziz stated that the government failed to meet its own targets and that fulfilling the IMF’s conditions would be a significant achievement.

He pointed out that political parties lack any concrete plans to address unemployment, which has become a major issue.

Daniyal warned that Pakistan’s economic reputation has suffered a severe blow internationally, as Pakistani institutions have failed to compile accurate economic data since 2020.

Questions have been raised about the credibility of the government’s economic reporting, and the concealment of economic realities has put the country’s standing at risk. He added that the economy is regressing to the level it was at in 1947, yet the relevant institutions remain silent.

Despite promises made to the IMF, ground realities differ significantly, and even with profits reported by the State Bank, the economy has not stabilized, leaving the public burdened by inflation.

Former Minister noted that neighboring countries like Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh have surpassed Pakistan in economic progress. He revealed that 18.7 million people in Pakistan are unemployed, and the government lacks a solid strategy to tackle this issue. He criticized major political parties including PTI, PML-N, and PPP for having no effective economic policies.

Daniyal Aziz also described the Finance Ministry as powerless, with the economy lacking clear direction, and accused the government of trying to mislead the public by maintaining a façade of control.

The removal of ECC committee head Masood Malik amid the sugar crisis was unexpected, and Ishaq Dar was handed responsibility for the scandal, raising serious public concern.

Aziz highlighted the absence of a proper inquiry into the sugar scandal, questioning who will be held accountable.

He strongly condemned the government’s handling of the sugar crisis, saying its mismanagement has worsened the situation. Daniyal Aziz pledged that public voices against the government’s incompetence over the sugar crisis would grow louder, stressing that without transparent accountability, the issues will remain unresolved.