Anti-inflation rally: PTI lays into govt’s ‘tyrannical’ economic outlook

“This system of inflation is a system of tyranny,” he told thousands of party workers and supporters at the rally.

Imran said that when the rich don’t pay taxes the poor have to pay the price in the form of inflation. “The government should collect taxes. There are at least three million people who live in big houses and drive luxury cars but pay no taxes,” he said.

“When you will bring amnesty schemes for those who don’t pay tax and give them a chance to whiten their black money, they will not pay taxes.”

Imran was equally unforgiving when it came to the government’s practice of printing more currency notes – which he said acted as a trigger for inflation. “The previous government used to print currency notes of Rs500 billion in a year and this government has printed Rs850 billion since it took charge,” he said. “We don’t know where all this money is going. The more currency notes you print, the higher inflation goes,” he maintained.

He said the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz should lower frivolous expenditure and observe simplicity, as it creates a dichotomy between Pakistan’s pleas for foreign aid if rulers are living in palaces.

Motioning towards the Governor House, Imran said the building contained 1,600 servants to ‘serve just one man’, and that the price for its maintenance is borne by citizens. Which is why, Imran said, his party was aiming to turn all Governor House premises in Pakistan into playgrounds.

PTI is planning to introduce a bill in the assembly seeking this conversion.

He also mentioned the government’s move to increase the price of electricity, dubbing it a ‘new year gift’ for the people of Pakistan. “When the government itself says per unit cost of electricity is Rs10 why does it charge people Rs18 for one unit? This is because of electricity theft,” he said.

Imran called on the government to reduce GST, adding that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should nab groups that make money by illegal means.

“The depreciation of the rupee has benefitted those whose stocks are in dollars. If someone has Rs500 billion outside, he would have earned Rs60 million in just over six months because the dollar went up,” he pointed out.

Imran also announced new venues for upcoming PTI protests. “PTI’s tsunami will reach Sindh on January 6 and Rawalpindi on January 30 to protest against the rising inflation,” Imran said.

Sheikh Rasheed and Jamaat-e-Islami’s Munawar Hasan also addressed the rally before Imran’s arrival, and endorsed his drive against inflation.

Inflation versus aspiration

A large number of hopefuls aspiring to contest in the upcoming local government elections participated in the rally against inflation on Sunday.

Those who plan to contest the elections had carried their own banners and hoardings along with the PTI flags.

“I am a supporter of Aoun Chaudhry who is contesting the upcoming local government elections that’s why I have carried his placard instead of PTI chairman Imran Khan. PTI flag is synonymous to Imran Khan so if I only carry the flag it means I am supporting him. I am carrying the placard with a photograph of the candidate whom I support,” said Muhammad Younas, a participant at the PTI rally.

The hoardings of the candidates contesting local government elections outnumbered the banners and placards against inflation. “This is natural. The local government elections are around the corner and many participants who are present here are contesting the elections as well so they have come up with their supporters.

Solidarity protests

PTI workers in Islamabad and Quetta expressed solidarity with the Lahore rally by staging anti-inflation protests of their own.

The Islamabad chapter of PTI held a protest demonstration at D Chowk, while in Quetta, party activists gathered processions from different parts of the city and culminated in a sit-in at the Quetta Metropolitan Office.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2013.