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PM Imran answers questions from general public during live Q&A session

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan is currently taking questions from the general public live on air during a programme called “Aap Ka Wazir-e-Azam, Aap Kay Saath“.

According to Radio Pakistan, citizens can speak to the premier by calling on 051-9224900. The premier will listen to the complaints and opinions of people and inform them about the different initiatives taken by the government.

Inflation

Answering a question about skyrocketing inflation, the premier explained that it was the only problem that “kept [him] awake at night”.

However, he also stressed that the current inflation was a “global phenomenon”. “When we came into government, we had to deal with a massive current account deficit […] due to this, the prices of imports soared drastically.”

He said that the world was facing a supply shortage due to the coronavirus pandemic. “The US has spent $6,000 billion for the welfare of the people during the pandemic and we spent $8bn. We must compare the situation of both countries.”

He added that the United Kingdom was facing 30-year record inflation and the same was the case with other European countries.

He called on the media to keep a “balanced approach” when discussing inflation and to inform citizens of the situation across the world. “The pandemic is something that occurs once in a 100 years and has caused all countries to suffer.”

He noted that the salaried class was the most affected due to inflation in Pakistan. On the other hand, the income of labourers increased by 40-60 per cent while corporate profits had also soared.

Health card

One of the callers expressed the concern that while the government’s health card initiative was sorely needed, there was no awareness among the people in this regard.

Responding to the concerns, the premier said that the PTI faced several challenges when it came into power which were compounded due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He said that when a new government came into power in neighbouring Afghanistan, dollars started flowing out of the country which had a negative impact on the rupee.

“We have been told that we are incompetent. But the Economist magazine has rated us among the top countries that effectively tackled Covid-19. We will also come out of this inflation crisis,” he vowed.

In an apparent reference to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, he said that there are certain people who go to London for medical treatment and are unaware of the suffering of the common man.






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