Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Says Interior Minister Realized After Years That the Country Is Not Functioning Properly

Islamabad: Awam Pakistan Party chief and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that government representatives have finally started acknowledging the country’s challenges, criticizing the Interior Minister for realizing “after four or five years” that the country is not being run effectively.

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Abbasi said the people of Pakistan have been saying the same thing for the past four to five years. He urged federal ministers to raise these concerns in cabinet meetings, stressing that the country urgently needs meaningful institutional reforms rather than superficial changes.

He said Pakistan requires a system based on the rule of law and called for an end to the practice of imprisoning political opponents. Abbasi questioned how the country could function if “all politicians are considered corrupt,” adding that the two major coalition partners currently in government continue to blame each other.

Highlighting economic concerns, Abbasi claimed that household incomes have declined over the past six years, purchasing power has fallen by 14 percent, and unemployment has reached its highest level in 21 years. He also said the average annual tax burden on each Pakistani has doubled from Rs30,000 to Rs60,000, while poverty continues to increase.

He further criticized the government’s economic policies, saying investment is being discouraged due to policy uncertainty and frequent taxation. According to Abbasi, businesses lack confidence because they do not know when new taxes will be imposed.

Referring to other national issues, he claimed that around 8,000 children are living with HIV, criticized the government’s decision to import one million tons of wheat despite Pakistan being an agricultural country, and said rising prices of electricity, gas, petrol, and diesel have placed an increasing burden on the public.