The government's economic policies of the incumbent government failed to provide any relief to poverty-stricken masses, as according to government's own figures, the food cost had surged by 130 percent between 2005-2006 and 2011-2012. This was stated by Malik Sohail Hussain, Chairman Media, Diplomatic Affairs and Public Relations, while speaking to members of the business community here on Tuesday.

He said that wheat prices had risen by 128 percent, sugar161 percent, pulses194 percent, vegetable ghee151 percent and meat by158 percent during the same period. He said that economic mismanagement was so rampant that bogus companies owned by influential received Rs 63 billion, as refund and illegal tax input adjustments during the first four months of the current fiscal.

On the one hand, people's life became economically unbearable, while on the other, terrorism spiked: the most recent example is the killing of Bashir Ahmad Bilour, Senior Minister of Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa, he said. He said that rekindling the Lal Masjid issue could disturb the military strategy against militancy, as refusal by personnel serving in various insurgency-hit areas could compromise army's ability to defend the country from threats.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2012