ISLAMABAD, Aug 8 (APP): Federal Minister for Petroleum, Dr. Musadik Masood Malik on Thursday reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the welfare of the poor, youth and women of Pakistan.
Addressing a press conference, he said, “We are following the vision of ‘One Pakistan,’ working towards the uplift of the poor people and creating opportunities for the youth and women of the country.”
He criticized the Opposition for focusing on negativity, destruction and divisive politics. He lamented that the Opposition has not offered any constructive suggestions for the progress, prosperity or development of the country.
He said that the people of Pakistan have elected their representatives to highlight their issues and resolve problems.
The minister highlighted the positive impact of the government’s economic policies under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, noting a significant drop in food inflation from 48 percent to 2 percent.
He added that overall inflation in the country has decreased from 38 percent to 12 percent due to the government’s effective measures. He further said that the reductions in inflation and positive economic indicators demonstrate that the country is moving towards stability. Alleviating poverty, reducing inflation and providing job opportunities for the youth remain the government’s foremost priorities, he added.
He also pointed out that GDP growth in rural areas had reached 6.3 percent, while tax collection has increased by 30 percent.
Dr. Musadik Malik said that after the elections, the Opposition was offered the chance to form the government, but they refused. He criticized the Opposition for comparing Pakistan to Bangladesh.
Regarding the events of May 9, he condemned the attacks on military installations and memorials of the country’s heroes by PTI workers, and said, “We are united and determined to bring the country out of the crisis.”
He said that some elements were running negative campaigns on social media.
Responding to a question, he said that Rs 50 billion had been allocated to protect 86 percent of electricity consumers in the country for the next three months.
Despite economic challenges, the government has allocated Rs 600 billion in the current federal budget to uplift poor people. He added that development projects were being executed, especially in backward areas, to provide job opportunities to locals.
